It wasn't at first sight
by ByAllegra
Summary: What happens when Hanna loses her dog and Caleb finds it? This is a HALEB AU story. Hanna will have to deal with the asshole who kept her dog for a year. Caleb will have to deal with the beautiful but crazy girl who doesn't stop yelling at him, and who also happens to be the actual owner of "his" dog. Of course it won't be long until they change their minds and fall for each other.
1. Chapter 1

It's a warm summer morning when Hanna wakes up laughing as her very big chocolate brown Terranova dog who has just jumped on her bed, licks her face while wagging his tail happily.

Hanna "Morning, baby!" she says between laughs and starts to stroke the dog's fur "Hi, Chocolate!"

When the dog calms down and finally lies down next to her, Hanna takes her phone from the bedside table and checks the time.

Hanna "Seriously, Chocolate? It's freaking 8 in the morning, you need to learn not to wake me up so early on weekends" she says to the dog, but with a smile on her face, because she just can't tell off that cute face of him.

/

Meanwhile.

Caleb is really tired after a long night drive when he reaches the entrance to the city. A great smile appears on his face when he sees the "Welcome to Rosewood" sign at the side of the road.

Once in the city, he drives his way right to his grandfather's house who he is visiting for a couple of weeks. He parks and walks to the front door.

After some minutes of ringing the doorbell and getting no answer, Caleb sits on a chair that is aside on the porch. He knows his grandpa usually gets up really early in the morning, even on weekends, but he also could be still sleeping, so he decides to just wait there for a while.

Twenty minutes later, he tries ringing the doorbell again, but he doesn't get any answer this time either. He takes a look through one of the windows but doesn't get to see anything out of normal. He calls him on the house phone too, since his grandpa doesn't use cell phones, but he doesn't pick up the phone either. Caleb thought it would be a good idea to show up by surprise when he planned the trip a few days ago, but he is not so sure of that now and he starts thinking that he might should have let his grandfather know that he would come to visit him.

Caleb decides to go for a coffee and try later, but when he is walking his way back to his car, he gets to see a couple coming out from the house next door. They are a blond guy and a brunette girl, and they seem to be the same age as him. The couple is carrying some suitcases and bags to their car, which makes him think they must be going on a trip. Caleb assumes that they could know something about his grandpa, maybe he went on a trip himself as well, maybe he is out of the city, it's been weeks since the last time he talked to him on the phone after all, so it could be possible. He approaches their car and greets them.

Caleb "Hi, good morning, guys! Excuse me, I'm Caleb…"

And as soon as he says his name, the couple look at each other with a serious expression on their faces before turning back to look at Caleb.

Caleb "My grandfather lives in the house next door, and I was wondering if you might know something about him, since he is not answering the door… or the phone"

The blonde guy lays a bag on the sidewalk and stands before Caleb. He places a hand on his shoulder.

Toby "I'm sorry, man" he sighs and takes a moment, trying to find the right words, but there are no right words to say what he has to tell him "Your grandpa passed away three weeks ago"

Caleb freezes for a moment as he processes what he just heard, but it makes no sense "What?" is all he manages to say.

Toby "I'm really sorry, your grandfather was a great man… I wish I could have contacted you to let you know what happened, but all I knew was your name… he used to talk a lot about you, but he never mentioned your last name, you know? And since he didn't use cell phones, well, it was impossible to get your phone number, to contact you"

Caleb doesn't even understand Toby's words because his mind is overwhelmed by his own thoughts and Toby talking about his grandfather in the past tense is too much for him to take.

Caleb turns around and walks back toward his grandpa's house as his tears wet his cheeks. He can't believe he just lost the only family he had. He reaches the porch and sits on one of the stair steps.

Toby looks at Spencer and she gives him a nod. He walks toward Caleb and sits down next to him. Caleb has his face buried in his hands. He is in complete silence.

Toby "I'm really sorry, Caleb" he says once more "He was such a great person… I had known him since I was just a child… he was like a grandpa to me too" he says and places his palm on Caleb's shoulder again.

They remain silent for minutes. Caleb is just too shocked to talk and Toby doesn't know what else to say, there's not much to say in those moments… much less when you barely know the other person.

Caleb finally straightens up and takes his hands off his face. He wipes some tears off his face and looks at Toby.

Caleb "What happened?" he asks in a very shaky voice.

Toby "It was a heart attack… I… I found him myself the morning after" he says, getting a little emotional too now.

Caleb "I wish I had spent more time with him… I met him just two years ago…"

Toby nods, his eyes are glassy "Yeah, he told me your story… he was really happy to have found you… he was so proud of you, as I said earlier, he used to talk a lot about you"

Caleb tears starts to roll down his cheeks again, harder than before, it's like he is getting it now, he really lost his only family… the only person in the world who cared truly for him.

Toby stands up and takes a key from the top frame of one of the windows.

Toby "Wanna go in?"

Caleb shakes his head "I can't, not right now"

Toby nods and sits back by his side.

Toby "Okay, I'll just leave you the key, you can go in the house whenever you feel like doing so" he places the key on the floor next to Caleb "And I can come with you to the cemetery too when you are ready, I can show you… where he is… oh, and I am Toby, by the way"

Caleb tears keep escaping from his eyes, he doesn't feel so comfortable being like that in front of a stranger, but he can't help it. He wipes his tears off, although it is useless and looks up at Toby "Thanks… you were going on a trip or something like that, weren't you?… I don't wanna keep you" Caleb wants to be left alone so bad, but he doesn't want to be rude either.

Toby "It's okay, there's no problem, my girlfriend will understand, she knew your grandpa too"

Caleb "Really, just go… I'll just stay here, I need some time alone right now" he says, being honest now.

Toby nods "Okay, then…" he stands up "My girlfriend and I will be away just for the weekend… we can talk if you want when I'm back on Monday…"

Caleb just nods.

Toby "Well… good bye, then…" he says awkwardly because, how would you say good bye to a person that you just met, after giving them such a bad new? He just doesn't know what else to do or say.

Toby walks away and gets in his car. When he drives away, Caleb finally lets his feelings go and he breaks down as his tears wet his cheeks non-stop.

/

That evening.

Hanna is finishing putting Chocolate on his leash when her mom shows up coming down the stairs.

Ashley "Are you really taking him for a walk this late and when it's about to break a storm?"

Hanna "It was too hot outside to take him out earlier… and yes, I'm definitely taking him out for a walk now, he needs to waste energy, I want him to get tired, otherwise, he will wake me up at freaking 8 in the morning tomorrow again"

Ashley "Han, a big storm is coming, you shouldn't go out"

Hanna "We will be right back, mom… don't worry" she says while going out the door.

Ashley "But Hanna, you know how bad he gets scared with storms, you won't be able to-" she doesn't even bother herself to end her phrase because Hanna has already shut the front door after going out.

/

Hanna is at the park when a few lightning bolts start to be seen through the sky. She and Chocolate have been walking around for almost half an hour and now they are just sitting on the grass, well, she is sitting and he is lying by her side.

Hanna "Okay, baby… let's go home" she says as she caresses him right behind one of his ears, which she knows he loves.

Hanna knows they should take their way back home right now if they want to avoid being caught by the storm. Besides, Chocolate hates storms, and Hanna can feel that he is getting a little nervous.

Hanna stands up and obviously, Chocolate does the same.

She stands before the dog and takes his head in her hands "It's okay, we are going home now" she presses a kiss on the top of his head before they start walking.

When they are just a few blocks from Hanna's house, the storm finally breaks. It is one of those big summer storms that start from one moment to another and make it seems like the world is about to collapse.

Hanna "Shit!" she says when a loud thunder makes her and Chocolate jump scared as the rain drops start getting them soaked just in matter of seconds.

The dog is really frightened by now and Hanna tightens his leash and holds it with both of her hands, pulling him closer. But when another noisy thunder is heard, he starts to run away, causing Hanna to lose her steadiness and fall on the ground. She tries hard not to let go of the dog leash, keeping it entangled between her hands while trying to ignore the pain of being dragged on the ground, but as much as she pulls from the leash while yelling Chocolate to stop, there's nothing she can do when the dog collar breaks apart and Hanna gets lied on the sidewalk with the now useless leash still between her hands.

Hanna "Chocolate! Stop!" she yells as she stands up from the ground "Come on, baby!" she says as she starts running after him, with scrapes on her knees "Want a treat? I'm giving you a treat!" she yells now, but the dog is too scared to pay attention to her and he keeps running.

Chocolate obviously runs faster than Hanna, and although she doesn't give up and keeps running after him, in only a few seconds, she loses sight of him in the middle of the powerful storm.

Hanna "Chocolate! Chocolate!" she stops running and takes a look around, but she doesn't see him "Please, baby! Come back!" she says, already crying.

By the strong winds, a branch of a tree breaks and falls down, fortunately Hanna gets to move away just in time and it falls onto one of her legs instead of right on her head. She moans in pain as she falls on the ground once again. She doesn't give up this time either, she moves the branch off of her leg, and when she does so, she gets to see a really bloody wound on her calf, but she stands up anyway, ignoring how much it hurts, because the only thing that matters to her is to find her dog.

Hanna can no longer run, but she keeps trotting in the direction that she thinks Chocolate took.

A few minutes later, a car that is passing by the street stops next to Hanna and rolls down the window.

Jordan "Hey, girl, are you okay? Do you need some help?" he asks kindly.

Hanna approaches the car "I lost my dog, I'm looking for my dog" she says between sobs.

Jordan "Okay, let's go find him" he says while opening the passenger door "Come on, get in, we are driving around"

Hanna would never get in the car of a stranger, but giving the circumstances, that is exactly what she does, because again, all that matters to her is to find her big puppy.

Jordan "So, how is it? What does it look like?" he asks as he starts driving.

Hanna "He is… Big, like really big… he is brown… he is a Terranova, do you know Terranovas? Hold on a sec, I'm showing you a picture of him" she speaks fast as her tears keep rolling down her cheeks and she looks for her phone "Oh, fuck, I think I just lost my phone"

Jordan notices the wound on her leg, it is still bleeding, like a lot.

Jordan "You are hurt! I should take you to the emergency room, you might need some stitches"

Hanna "I'm okay, I just want my dog back"

Jordan "Okay, I'm taking you to the ER and then we can go look for him"

Hanna "No, I told you I'm fine, let's just keep looking for my dog"

Jordan "That's too much bleeding… I'm taking you to the hospital"

Hanna "Okay, you know what? Stop the car, I'm getting out of here. I don't need your help, I shouldn't have gotten in your car in the first place" she says really annoyed now.

Jordan "Come on, you can't even walk. Let me help you" he says, still calm "I'll tell you something, take my phone and call someone to look for your dog" he says and hands her his phone "We can join them after you get some medical care… there's no way I'm leaving you on your own with that wound on your leg outside in the storm"

Hanna nods and takes Jordan's phone "Thank you"

/

Caleb is still on the porch of his grandfather's house when the storm breaks. He is asleep, lying on the floor, but the same thunders that scare the hell out of Hanna and Chocolate, wake him up.

Caleb hasn't found the guts to step in his grandfather's house yet… He was so tired after his long drive, and a terrible headache caused by all his crying was killing him, so he fell asleep right there after a few hours.

He sits up straight and remains there, looking at the storm in silence. He doesn't even feel cold or hungry. Emptiness is all that he feels, a horrible emptiness that he has felt before, but that he thought he would never feel again. And there he is now, feeling it again, and he can't bear it. He wants to leave but he knows he can't drive right now, not while feeling the way he feels, and much less in the middle of that huge storm.

A few minutes later, someone joins him. A really scared dog shows up looking for shelter. It's Chocolate, and he approaches Caleb.

Caleb "Oh, shit!" he says when he sees the really giant dog right beside him and stands up quickly "Hey! Go away!" he yells at the dog, but the dog won't go away.

Chocolate stares at Caleb with his really big scared eyes and that's how he knows he is just a frightened dog trying to get away from the storm, and not a threat. In fact, he gets to see that tender puppy look that Chocolate has despite his giant size. And it causes a slight smile on Caleb's face.

Caleb "It's okay buddy, it's just a storm" he says relaxed and pats the dog's head.

Another thunder is heard and Chocolate runs to the chair that is there on the side and lies down on the floor, hiding his big head under the chair.

Caleb crouches next to the dog and strokes his fur "It's okay, it's okay" he says and he spots the key that Toby gave him earlier. It's still on the floor, in the same place he left it.

Caleb stands up and goes pick it up. He sighs. He wouldn't get in the house if it were up to him, but he knows the storm won't stop any time soon, and he can't just sit down and watch that scared dog suffer. He finally opens the door of the house and steps in.

Caleb "Come on, buddy, let's go get something to dry you" he calls for the dog.

Chocolate runs into the house immediately.

* * *

Well, here I am again haha. I wasn't so sure about writing a new story, but then I started this one and after writing a few chapters I decided to share it here. I wanna know what you guys think. Of course this is a HALEB story, Jordan is there just to add a little drama because that's what stories need to move forward. Anyway, Hanna and Caleb will meet each other in the next chapter. I took the love for dogs thing from Tyshley though, and if you got to love an animal sometime in your life, then you will understand this story a little better :)

Please, leave me some reviews so I can know what you think... I'm still working on the following chapters, so that way I can know better how to continue the story. They won't like each other so much at first, but Chocolate will bring them together... and if you don't know how a Terranova is, you should definitely google it! they are huge dogs!

Oh, and sorry for my shitty english, LOL. I'm still working on it!


	2. Chapter 2

One year later.

Caleb gets back in Rosewood. He pulls into the driveway of his grandfather's house, and after getting out of the car, he opens one of the rear doors and Chocolate gets out of the car as well. Yes, he has kept the dog.

A year ago, the night of the storm, he and Chocolate spent the night in his grandfather's house. It was really hard for Caleb to be there, but he did it for the dog who was scared as hell. Caleb gave him a safe place to stay.

The morning after the storm was sunny, and Caleb wanted to let the dog go back home, he opened the front door and told him to go away, he tried to make him go back to his owner, because it was obvious that a dog as beautiful as that, and so well cared for, belonged to someone. But Chocolate didn't go away, no matter how much Caleb tried to kick him out. And when the dog ran after his car for ten blocks when he started to drive away, Caleb didn't have the heart to abandon him, and although he knew it wasn't the right thing to do, he couldn't stand staying one more minute in that town to take time to look for the dog's owner himself, it was just too much for him, so he just gave in and took Chocolate with him.

And well, now, a year after, there they are, back at that house. Caleb has inherited it shortly after his visit to Rosewood, since he was the only family left that his grandfather had, and although he chose to go on with his life the way it was instead of going back there, and it worked perfectly for him for some time, now he is back and ready to face the situation.

Caleb "Well, we've got a lot of work to do in here…" he says to the dog while taking a look around once they step into the house.

No one has been in that house after them. The furniture is covered by sheets and all the superficies are covered by a dust coat as well.

Caleb approaches one of the windows and after opening the curtains, he opens the window to let in some fresh air. After doing the same with every window of the house, he takes the sheets off the furniture, uncovering everything, and then grabs a broom and gets started working.

/

Hanna wakes up hearing an annoying ringtone coming from a phone.

Hanna "Why don't you just put your phone on silent?" she says a little annoyed, before even opening her eyes.

Jordan "Sorry, babe" he presses a kiss against her temple before taking his phone from the bedside table "It must be important" he gets up from the bed and puts on his underwear while taking the call.

Hanna finally opens her eyes and sees Jordan getting in the bathroom. They are in their luxury suite at the Radley Hotel, which is managed by Ashley, Hanna's mom.

Hanna has moved in with Jordan to New York six months ago, well, to New York is just a way to say it, because they spend most of the time traveling, going here and there because of his job and Hanna has been accompanying him wherever he goes.

Hanna has gotten back to Rosewood about a week ago to visit her mother and her friends, and well, to show them the amazing diamond ring she has been wearing since a month ago when Jordan proposed to her. Her fiancée has joined her just a couple of days ago after getting back from one of his business trips. Although Ashley has invited Jordan to stay in her house, Jordan politely refused her invitation by saying he would rather stay at a hotel, not to be a nuisance. Hanna knew the real reason, Jordan is kind of special when it comes to his personal space and all that stuff. She has noticed that when she moved in with him, she could swear he felt a little invaded at first. So, she managed to come out with the best solution, she asked her mom for that suite at the Radley and that way, Ashley was able to be the "host" and Jordan didn't really have to stay at her house.

A few minutes later, Hanna is still lying in the bed, looking at the ceiling, absent-minded, when Jordan comes out from the bathroom and goes sits on the edge of the bed next to her.

Jordan "Morning" he smiles at her as he places his palm on the mattress at the other side of her and leans in to press a quick peck on Hanna's lips.

Hanna "Morning, babe" she smiles back.

Jordan "You okay?"

Hanna nods although she has a knot in the throat, but her watery eyes betray her.

Jordan "What's wrong?"

Hanna shakes her head "I was just thinking… it has been a year since Chocolate went missing…" she sighs and a single tear escapes from one of her eyes "I still had the hope I could find him when I came here… I still do… I keep looking out the window when I am at my mom's and I still hope that he will appear running down the street, I also… I didn't say this to you, but I have gotten back at looking for him these days… I went for some drives this week before you came… just to see if I could find him somewhere… I even went to the park where I used to take him to see if he was there with some other family…"

Jordan "I knew you weren't ready to come back here, I shouldn't have let you come back"

Hanna "I know… I promised you I wouldn't get back at all that… I'm sorry, I let you down"

Jordan "Han…" he takes her hand "I know how much you loved that dog, but you need to get over it, and you won't be able to do that until you accept that he is gone… I hate to tell you this, but I have to be honest with you, if he was still here in Rosewood, you would have found him long ago, I mean, a huge dog like him is really hard to forget, you practically wrapped the city with his picture, someone would have called you if they had seen him… it's been a year, baby"

Hanna just nods as her tears wet her cheeks. She tries to calm down and takes a deep breath.

Jordan wipes some of her tears before standing up from the bed. He goes take some clothes from the closet and starts to put them on.

Hanna "Where are you going?" she asks calmer "Come here, I need some cuddles"

Jordan "We have to go, Han"

Hanna "Why? We are not getting together with my mom until lunch…"

Jordan "No, I mean, we are leaving Rosewood… it was George on the phone, my dad needs me there in Washington, we are leaving in two hours, he is already arranging our flight, they are sending my dad's private plane to pick us up"

Jordan's father is running for president and George is Jordan's father's campaign manager, who is also one of Jordan's closest friends from college.

Hanna "Wait, what?!" she sits up straight on the bed, holding the sheets in her hands to keep her naked body covered.

Jordan "I'm sorry, we have to leave"

Hanna "But we were supposed to stay here for another week"

Jordan "I know, Han… but you know how these things are, I must go"

Hanna sighs "Well, you go, I'll stay here"

Jordan "Come on, Han… I'm not leaving you here on your own, and much less after what you just told me" he says as he starts to take the rest of his clothes from the closet and put them back in his suitcase.

Hanna "On my own? My mom is here, my friends are here"

Jordan "Yeah, and neither of them noticed you were looking for your dog again…"

Hanna "They did… but they don't think it's a bad thing, Emily also came with me to the park a few times"

Jordan "Hanna, you were looking for that dog for months, you were a mess, you barely ate, you were sad all the time, I don't want you to get back to that, I don't want them to keep feeding your hopes like that, they all know that that dog won't appear, I know he won't appear, you are the only one left who has to come around and accept it, and they are not helping with that at all, they are not making any good to you. I'm the only one trying to bring you back to reality, I know it hurts, but you have to face the situation, Hanna, your dog won't just show up at your front door"

Hanna "I don't need you to make me aware of anything, it's okay if you think that way, but I don't need you to tell me those things, I just needed a hug, you know? At least my friends are there for me no matter what they think"

Jordan "You think I'm not here for you?"

Hanna gets up from the bed, grabs her bathrobe from a chair and after putting it on, she gets in the bathroom.

Jordan "I've been there for you at your worst moments, Hanna, and I'm still here… you should reconsider that ring on your finger if you think I'm not good for you" he says against the door.

Hanna opens the bathroom door "No, I'm sorry… I'm an idiot" she wraps her arms around him "I'm a little touchy today… I know you only want to help me out"

Jordan "It's okay, baby" he wraps his arms around her as well and he presses a kiss on the top of her head "Go get ready, we have to leave… we need to hurry up, we are going to say goodbye to your mother before we leave" he releases her and goes back to pack his stuff.

Hanna "Are you sure we can't stay just one more night? We were supposed to get together with my friends tonight, that was very important for me, you barely saw them yesterday, I really wanted them to get to know you better, it was gonna be so fun, they are so fun"

Jordan "I'm sorry babe, I must get there in Washington today"

Hanna nods "OK…" she says and starts to pack her things as well.

Once their suitcases are packed and they are about to leave their suite, Hanna changes her mind.

Hanna "You know what?" she starts to say, making Jordan turn to look at her "I was thinking… you go now, and I'll catch up with you tomorrow… I can't leave without saying goodbye to my friends… and I really want to see them tonight… would you mind if I stay one more night?"

Jordan approaches her and takes her hands "It's okay" he gives her a smile "Just promise me you will get there tomorrow, George mentioned an important dinner with all these important politicians tomorrow night at my father's and I really need you there, you must be there"

Hanna smiles back "I'll be there"

Jordan "Perfect. See you tomorrow, then" he pecks her lips and releases her hands to check the time on his wrist watch "Oh, god, it's late… I should leave now"

Hanna "Wait, aren't you going to say goodbye to my mom? Thought we would stop by at her office before leaving, she is just a few floors down"

Jordan "Well, yes… but… that was because you were leaving too… but… can't you just say goodbye to her for me?"

Hanna "Yes, sure, but…"

Jordan "Great! Send her my greetings and tell her I'm very grateful to her, I had a really good time" he says as he opens the door and drags his suitcase to the hallway, then he approaches Hanna and pecks her lips once more "I love you" he says quickly while going out the door and he closes it before Hanna can say anything.

/

Meanwhile.

Caleb is still cleaning up the house when Toby shows up and stands at the frame of the front door, which is wide open.

Toby "Hey! You are back"

Caleb turns around and gives him a smile "Hey! Toby, right?" he says while approaching him.

Toby nods and they shake hands.

Caleb "Nice to see you again"

Toby "Likewise"

Caleb "Please, come in… I would offer you something to drink… but I just got here like an hour ago, and I have literally nothing"

Toby chuckles "It's okay, man… I just came to say hi" he says while going in "So… are you keeping the house? Are you planning to stay?"

Caleb just shrugs.

Toby "I thought you weren't gonna come back… I mean, I came to see you that Monday when I got back in town and you were already gone, and it's been a year, I assumed you would just sell the house…"

Caleb "Well… this house needs a makeover… I wanna do some renovations… I guess I'll just take care of that and then I'll decide what to do with the house… I'm not sure right now"

Toby nods "Makes sense"

Caleb "I also want to renovate the furniture… I was thinking of donating all these and well… give away my grandpa's stuff too…"

Toby stares at him "You sure?"

Caleb "Yeah… don't get me wrong, I mean, it's not like I want to get rid of all my grandpa's stuff… but I just think there's no point keeping material things... Anyway, I know you were close to him, so you can keep whatever you want, that's why I'm telling you this"

Toby gives him a smile "Thanks man… there's a fishing rod he used to lend me when he took me fishing when I was a child that means a lot to me…"

Caleb cuts him off "Say no more, it's yours"

Toby smiles again "So, do you need some help here? I'm very handy when it comes to woodwork, and other construction stuff… I could give you a hand"

Caleb "Sure… that would be great… I mean, I do it pretty well when it comes to computer stuff, technology… and I also know a little about electricity… but I'm not so good with tools and home repairs"

Toby "Okay, I'll come over tomorrow with my tools… I gotta go now, but I'll give you my phone number just in case you need anything, I mean, I'm right in the house next door, let me know anything"

Caleb hands him his phone "Thanks"

Toby adds his phone number on Caleb's phone and then he hands it back.

Toby "OK, see you tomorrow, Caleb"

Caleb "See you around, and again, thanks a lot"

Toby "Oh, it's nothing" he says as he goes out the door.

/

Hanna gets to the Radley Hotel's restaurant where her mom is sitting at a table. She walks toward her, dragging her suitcase along.

Hanna "Hi, mom"

Ashley "Hi, sweetie…" she looks up at her daughter and notices her suitcase "What are you doing with that? Where's Jordan?"

Hanna leaves the suitcase aside and sits at the table "He had to leave… he took a plane to Washington a while ago… I'm staying with you in the house tonight and then I'll go to Washington as well tomorrow"

Ashley "He left?" she asks surprised.

Hanna "Yeah, he got a call this morning and well…"

Ashley "He could have stopped by to say goodbye at least" she rolls her eyes.

Hanna sighs "It was an emergency, mom. He had to leave in a rush… he sent you his greetings"

Ashley "Do you really need to go tomorrow? I thought you would stay for another week" she says, changing the subject.

Hanna "Yes, mom… there's an important dinner we have to attend tomorrow"

Ashley "Can't you skip it? I miss you, stay a few days more at least" she takes Hanna's hand.

Hanna "I can't, mom… I have to be there… but I promise, I'll come visit you soon" she gives her a smile.

Ashley smiles back "OK… what are you taking?" she asks as she hands her the menu.

Hanna "Just a salad, I think" she says while taking the menu to give it a read.

/

That afternoon.

Caleb "OK, buddy, let's go for a walk" he says as he puts the dog on his leash.

After working hard in the house all day long, Caleb decides to take the dog for a walk and take the opportunity to know the neighborhood himself. He goes out the house with Chocolate and starts walking away by the sidewalk.

/

Hanna gets out of a cab in front of Ashley's house and after the driver takes her suitcase from the trunk, she takes it and walks to the front door while looking for her keys into her purse.

When Caleb shows up around the corner of that street, Chocolate immediately starts pulling on his leash.

Caleb "Hey, easy there, buddy" he says while pulling from the leash too, trying to control the dog "Hey!" he says firmly to the dog again, but he keeps pulling on the leash harder.

Hanna is still focused on looking for her keys when Chocolate's leash slides off Caleb's hands and the dog runs toward her.

Chocolate jumps on her and makes her fall on the grass of the front garden.

Hanna "Oh my god!" she says completely shocked "Oh my god!" she says again, excited, while wrapping her arms around the dog "Chocolate!" she says as she starts to tear up fiercely.

Caleb, who ran after the dog, stands before Hanna "I'm so sorry, he has never done this before, he just-" he says as he takes the dog leash back in his hand but he falls silent when he sees that the blond girl that his dog just took down is crying while hugging the animal and that confuses him.

Hanna "I can't believe you are here" she says, while sitting up, still hugging her dog "I thought I would never see you again, baby" she presses a kiss on the dog's fur and that's when Caleb gets what is going on.

Caleb just stands there, shocked by the situation happening in front of his eyes, unable to believe it.

Hanna finally gets back on her feet and keeps greeting her dog with a huge smile on her face although her tears keep rolling down her cheeks "Hi, baby! You are back home!" she says to the happy dog that doesn't stop wagging his tail.

That's when Caleb gets to see that girl's face and if he was already shocked by the situation, that beautiful face of her doesn't help at all, and when those big blue eyes finally look at him, he is not capable of saying a word.

Hanna "You found my dog" she says to him.

Caleb "Are you sure this is your dog?" he asks a no-brainer question because it's pretty obvious that the dog loves her, but that stupid question is all that comes out from his mouth.

Hanna raises an eyebrow at him.

Caleb is still speechless so Hanna goes on.

Hanna "So, you are not here to return him home?" she stares at him.

Caleb "I just… I just got in the town today… I'm not from here… I didn't even know he was-"

Hanna "My dog?" she says annoyed now.

Caleb nods while running one of his hands through his hair.

Hanna "So, how the shit did you end up with my dog, then?" she says while snatching the leash from his hand.

Caleb "I just found him one night I stopped by the town…"

Hanna "So, you found a dog that clearly belonged to someone else and you just took it out of the town?"

Caleb "No, I just…"

Hanna stares at him.

Caleb "Well, yes, but it wasn't like that, I… can we talk about this? Let me explain myself… I kind of… love that dog, I would like to-"

Hanna "Sorry, what?" she laughs sarcastically "You fucking took my dog and now you expect me to talk to you and, what? Let you keep him for another year maybe? Share him with you? A visiting schedule? I don't know how you call it, but when someone takes something that belongs to someone else, that's stealing"

Caleb "Look, I… I didn't steal your dog, he just came to me during that storm, and well… What was I supposed to do? I tried to make him go back home the day after, but he didn't go away, in fact, he ran after my car, I had to take him with me, I had no other option" he speaks fast.

Hanna "Yes, you had, you could have stayed in the town and help him make it back home, it would have been really easy to get to me, I was looking for him too"

Caleb "I couldn't stay, but believe me, it wasn't my intention to steal your dog… can we talk, please?"

Hanna "Of course not! Just go away! You, freaking thief!"

Caleb "Please, let's just talk… I'll give you my phone number, I really want to keep seeing him"

Hanna "Are you fucking crazy? Go away before I call the police! I have proof that this is my dog. I don't wanna see you around ever again… keep away from my dog" she says as she takes her suitcase "Come on, Chocolate" she says while going into the house with the dog.

Chocolate. Caleb finally gets to know the dog's name.

Caleb "Please" he says again, but Hanna slams the door shut.

* * *

Hey guys! I'm so glad you liked the idea! :) thank you for leaving reviews, I hope you keep it up because I love learning what you think while reading my story!

And, OMG! Last PLL episode was sooooooooo good! (I'm talking about the HALEB part, of course). They are just so amazing, so cute :D I can't wait for the next episode!


	3. Chapter 3

That evening. Caleb is sitting on the porch, absent-minded, while having a beer.

Toby gets out of his pickup truck after parking. He is heading the front door of the house that he shares with his girlfriend when he spots Caleb. He goes and sits down next to him.

Toby "Hey!"

Caleb "Hey..."

Toby "Bad day? Too much work maybe?"

Caleb "No, I'm doing well with the house…" he says and takes a sip from his bottle of beer.

Toby "So?"

Caleb "Everything is fine" he hands Toby the bottle. He has a knot in his throat but he doesn't feel like talking to Toby about Chocolate and what just happened.

Toby takes the bottle and drinks some beer before handing it back. He knows Caleb is not doing so well, but he won't keep asking, he barely knows him after all, and he also knows it must be hard for Caleb to be back at his dead grandfather's house.

Spencer comes out from the house next door and approaches them.

Spencer "Hey Caleb" she greets him with a smile on her face.

Caleb "Hi…" he starts to say but doesn't remember her name.

Spencer "I'm Spencer"

Caleb "Hi, Spencer" he smiles slightly at her.

Spencer "Nice to see you again, I'm glad you are back"

Caleb "Thanks"

Spencer turns her gaze to Toby now "Hey, babe… we gotta get going"

Toby nods and looks at Caleb "Well, I'll see you tomorrow… if you still want me to help you with the house and the renovations…"

Caleb "Sure! See you tomorrow" he forces a smile.

Toby stands up and starts walking away along with Spencer. But before they reach the pickup truck, the couple exchange a few words and then Toby approaches Caleb again.

Toby "Hey, Spencer and I are getting together with some friends… I thought you might join us if you want, we are meeting for dinner"

Caleb "Thank you, man… but I'd rather stay at home"

Toby "You sure? The guys are pretty cool, they won't mind if you join us tonight, come on, I'm sure you will have a really good time"

Caleb "I'm not really in the mood right now… maybe another day, but thank you anyway"

Toby "OK, then… bye"

Caleb "Bye"

/

Hanna arrives at Alison's house, where all her friends are getting together for dinner. They all are already there and as always, Hanna is the last one to show up. Punctuality is not her thing. She stands at the front door and rings the doorbell. But although Jordan is not there accompanying her as he was supposed to, she's not alone, Chocolate is there by her side, and she couldn't be happier.

Emily opens the door and a huge smile appears on her face when she sees the dog "Han! Is that…?"

Hanna nods "Yeah" she says, smiling even more than Emily "It's Chocolate"

Emily "Oh my god!" she yells happily while hugging Hanna "When did you find him? and where? why didn't you tell me?" she asks when she pulls away from Hanna and then she hugs the dog and strokes his fur "Hi baby!"

Hanna "Well, actually, he was the one who found me and not the other way around… it was just today… and I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you all here"

Emily "I'm so happy for you, Han" she says and starts laughing because Chocolate starts licking her cheek "He remembers me!"

Hanna "Of course he does!"

Spencer shows up there too "Oh my gosh! Chocolate!" she says and the dog runs happily toward her "Han! You found him!"

Hanna "Yeah… kind of… he found me, to be honest"

Everyone else greets Hanna and Chocolate too. They are really happy to see the dog again, and not only because they all love that adorable huge dog, but also because they know how much Hanna suffered while he was missing.

/

The group is sitting at the table now, chatting while having dinner.

Aria "So, this guy just went away?"

Hanna "Of course he did, no one messes with my baby boy and I made it very clear"

Ezra "Yeah, I can perfectly picture you yelling at that guy"

Hanna "Of course I did, he was a jerk, who keeps a dog knowing that it has an owner? And even worse, he took the dog out of Rosewood"

Emily "Well, but it seems like he took a good care of him, he looks beautiful"

Hanna "That's not the point, he kept a dog that wasn't his"

Spencer "Maybe he had a reason, didn't he tell you anything?"

Hanna shrugs.

Toby laughs "I'm sure she didn't even let the guy talk"

Hanna "Are you seriously defending the freaking stranger who took my dog?"

Spencer "Of course not, we were just saying…"

Hanna "Good, because he was an asshole"

Hanna's phone starts to ring. She takes a look at the screen and sees that it's Jordan the one calling her.

Hanna "Excuse me, guys… It's Jordan, I've been trying to contact him all day long" she says while standing up from her chair.

Chocolate, who is lying on the floor next to Hanna, stands up as well and follows her to the living room where she sits on the couch, and the dog lies down on the floor next to her again.

Hanna "Hi, baby" she says on the phone.

Jordan "Hi, Han… I'm sorry, I saw your missed calls, but I was pretty busy"

Hanna "It's okay baby, I assumed that"

Jordan "So, what did you need?"

Hanna "Nothing… I just wanted to tell you some good news… great news"

Jordan "Huh? And what are those great news?"

Hanna "Chocolate got back home today, baby!"

Jordan "Really? That's great, Han!"

Hanna "Yeah, I'm so much happy"

Jordan "I'm very glad to hear that… I'm sorry about what happened this morning… I was just trying to protect you, you have to admit the chances he would appear were really low"

Hanna "Yeah, I know, don't worry… babe…"

Jordan "Yes?"

Hanna "I won't go there to Washington tomorrow…"

Jordan "What? Why?"

Hanna "Because Chocolate just got back, I won't leave him"

Jordan "Really, Hanna? You promised me you would come tomorrow, I really need you at that dinner… my father is trying to win those politicians over, he needs their support, we need to make a good impression, I need my fiancée there with me"

Hanna "I know babe… but… Chocolate is finally back with me, I don't want to be away from him, not even for a minute"

Jordan doesn't answer, so Hanna proposes a solution.

Hanna "Maybe I can take him there with me…"

Jordan "That's not an option, Hanna… your dog is huge… and my father is not a big fan of animals, we can't bring him here"

Hanna "Well, I won't go there then"

Jordan "You promised me you would come tomorrow"

Hanna "That was before Chocolate got back to me"

Jordan "Leave it with your mother"

Hanna "It? It? Are you serious?"

Jordan "Sorry, leave him with your mother, you can go for him in a couple of days"

Hanna "You don't get it, Jordan… I can't, I can't be away from him now, we are back together after a whole year"

Jordan "No, I get it pretty well, you are letting your fiancée down because of a dog… he won't even notice that you are away, he is a dog"

Hanna "I can't believe you are actually saying such a thing"

Jordan "I can't believe you are breaking your promise, I need you here"

Hanna "I thought you would understand me" she says and hangs up on him.

Hanna sighs and tilts her head back, resting on the couch backrest. A few tears escape from her eyes, but before she knows it, Chocolate places his big paws on her thighs and starts licking her cheeks.

Hanna "God, I missed you" she wraps her arms around the dog and presses her face against his furry neck "I'm not leaving you, baby boy"

Hanna remains there with Chocolate for minutes without realizing. Emily shows up there and sits next to her on the couch after a while.

Emily "Hey, you okay?"

Hanna nods "Yeah…"

Emily "So, why were you crying?"

Hanna "I wasn't crying"

Emily "Your eyes are reddish, Han… it's that or you suddenly became allergic to dogs…"

Hanna sighs "Fine, I just had a fight with Jordan"

Emily "Oh…"

Hanna "I promised him I would go there to Washington tomorrow but now that Chocolate is back I just don't want to be away from him"

Emily "That's okay, Han, it's completely understandable"

Hanna "Yeah, but he is right, I promised him I would be there for him… I'll call him back… I should apologize to him" she takes her phone from the coffee table.

Emily "Don't"

Hanna looks at her confused.

Emily "You are always apologizing to him, even when it's not your fault. And believe me, this time he is the one who needs to apologize to you"

Hanna "What? How would you know? You weren't even here when I was on the phone with him"

Emily "Don't you see? He is the one who was supposed to be here with you and not the other way around, he was supposed to come here and spend some time with you, your mom, and your friends, because you are marrying him and we barely know him. He was supposed to spend a week here but he left after just a couple of days. He can't get mad at you for not being there for him when he stood you up first. And I'm sorry, but he knows how much Chocolate means to you, he should support you, he should be happy as fuck to know that you have finally found him"

Hanna "He is happy for me… it's just that… his father is important to him, he just wants to give him a hand, and I promised him I would be there… I'll call him now, I guess my mom can take care of Chocolate for a couple of days"

Emily "Suit yourself" she raises her eyebrows.

Hanna "You know what? If you don't like Jordan, just say it"

Emily "Fine. I don't like Jordan"

Hanna "You don't know him"

Emily "Yeah, and whose fault is that?" she says while standing up from the couch and leaves the room, going back to their friends.

Hanna snorts and grabs her phone to call Jordan again.

/

Next morning. Saturday.

Hanna is finishing packing her suitcase at her mom's house when someone rings the doorbell. She goes down the stairs and answers the door, but as soon as she gets to see the person standing at the front door, her face becomes serious.

Hanna "What are you doing here?"

Caleb "I just wanna talk to you"

Hanna "I told you to stay away from here"

Caleb "This is not fair, you know? You didn't even let me explain myself. I told you I didn't mean to take your dog away from you. It just happened and I am-"

Hanna "Save it. It wasn't fair for me either, do you have any idea of how hard it was for me? It was a whole year wondering where the hell my dog was. Just leave me alone"

Caleb "I just want to see him… I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye"

Hanna "Well, that's not my problem" she says and slams the door in his face.

And as soon as she turns around, she finds Chocolate sitting there and wagging his tail while staring at the door.

Hanna "Let's go, baby" she says while going up the stairs, but the dog remains sitting in front of the door.

/

Caleb is very frustrated. He parks at his grandfather's house, which is his house now, and gets out of his car. When he gets to the front door, he finds Toby there.

Toby "Hey! Where were you? I was waiting for you, I thought you had overslept or something like that" he says with his toolbox in his hands.

Caleb "Hey…" he says, sounding not very excited.

Toby "Did you change your mind?"

Caleb "No… it's just that… I'm not in the mood right now… can we start later?"

Toby shrugs "Sure… it's your house after all… are you okay?"

Caleb sighs and nods "Just trying to deal with this crazy girl who has my dog… well, it's her dog, but still"

Toby "Wait, what?" he asks confused "What girl? Thought you didn't know anyone in the town… and which dog? Do you have a dog?"

Caleb "Wanna go in for a coffee? It's kind of complicated" he says to him while opening the door.

/

Some minutes later. Caleb has told Toby the whole story about how he found Chocolate a year ago and his recent encounters with his actual owner.

Toby "Wait a minute… Is this girl blonde? blue eyes?… pretty face?" he asks and takes a sip of coffee.

Caleb "Yeah, she is… beautiful face, indeed… but there's something wrong with her… she's fucking crazy, in fact, she is just as crazy as she is beautiful, or even more… she only yelled at me"

Toby bursts out of laughter "That crazy girl you are talking about is Hanna, she's one of my best friends and Spencer's"

Caleb "Well, I feel sorry for you… be friends with her must be…" he doesn't finish his phrase but his face expresses it all for itself.

Toby laughs again "Hey! It's not that bad… she's an amazing person, believe me"

Caleb just raises his eyebrows.

Toby "So… you were the guy who had Chocolate all this time…"

Caleb "It seems so"

Toby "Wow… if I had only known… you have no idea how hard it was for her while he was missing" he says now, becoming serious "She was so sad… she was looking for him for a long time"

Caleb "Really?"

Toby nods.

Caleb "I feel really sorry about that… it wasn't my intention to cause any a pain to anyone… I guess I wasn't thinking so clearly when I took the dog with me… I just wanted to get the hell out of the town, I left right the morning after I came here, and I would have left before if it wasn't for that storm"

Toby "Yeah, I know you were having a really hard time… don't worry, I'll talk to Han, I'm sure she will understand sooner or later, she is a little bit stubborn sometimes, but she's a good person, actually, she is one of the most wonderful people I've ever met. Let me talk to her"

Caleb "Thank you, man… I would really appreciate that, I love that dog, I know he belongs to Hanna, but I feel him mine, he has been my dog for a year… I can't just forget about him, stop seeing him… what am I supposed to do? Pretend like he was dead?"

/

Hanna finally gets her stuff packed and takes it downstairs. She finds Chocolate still sitting in the same position in front of the door as if he were waiting for someone. And Hanna knows what's going on, she knows who he is waiting for.

Hanna "There's no one out there" she says to him and opens the front door "See" she says while going out.

The dog follows her out and takes a look around, like looking for someone.

Hanna sighs "You love that stupid guy, don't you?" she caresses the dog's head.

Hanna spots a little box placed next to the door and picks it up. It has some dog toys inside, a couple of dog collars and it also has a note, which Hanna takes and reads "Chocolate's stuff. He loves the little red ball" that's all the note says.

Hanna takes the little red ball and shows it to the dog "Hey! Go for it, baby" she throws it into the house, but although Chocolate follows it with his eyes, he doesn't even move a muscle to go after it, instead of that, he just turns his gaze back to the street, like if he were still expecting to see Caleb.

Hanna "Alright, let's go look for that freaking guy" she finally gives in and goes get the dog's leash.

/

Hanna has been walking around for twenty minutes now.

Hanna "You don't have any idea of where this guy lives, do you?" she says to Chocolate after passing by the same street for the fifth time. She thought the dog would remember how to go back to the guy's house, and maybe lead her there, but it's pretty clear that he doesn't.

Hanna "You suck at orienting yourself, you know? Are you sure you are a dog?" she teases the dog "Can't you use your nose or something?" she adds amused while stroking one of his ears "Okay, let's just go to the park… I think I still have some time…" she says and checks the time on her phone.

/

Later.

Hanna is sitting under a tree, just chilling in the park, Chocolate lying next to her as they watch people passing by, going here and there. She is absent-minded in the summer breeze, stroking the dog's fur. That's the same spot they were hanging out a year ago before he went missing and that gets Hanna thinking a lot. She looks at the dog and he answers by wagging his tail at her, as he always does, happily.

Hanna "Shit, I can't leave you" she mumbles and takes her phone. After getting no answer, she leaves a message on Jordan's voicemail "Hey, babe… I… I know I promised you I would go there, but I can't… don't get mad at me and call me back when you can… I love you… please, don't get mad" she repeats again before putting her phone down.

/

A couple hours later, Hanna is parking at Spencer's house, she texted her friends letting them know she would stay in Rosewood after all, and asking them who would like to get together for lunch, but only Spencer was free.

Spencer "Hey! You stayed!" she smiles at Hanna after opening the door for her and moves to the side, making some room for her to go inside.

Hanna "Yeah" she smiles back while stepping into the house "And I'm not leaving any time soon… at least not until I figure out what to do with Chocolate…"

Spencer "What to do?"

Hanna "Yeah, I mean… pets are not allowed in our apartment building in New York, so I guess Jordan and I will have to find another place to live" she answers as they head to the large kitchen.

Spencer "Oh, right… so, he is okay with you staying here?... and moving to a new apartment?"

Hanna "Well, we haven't talk about it yet, but we don't have much of a choice, what are we supposed to do? We can't just sneak Chocolate into the building and keep him a secret, he's such a huge dog"

Spencer laughs "He's such an adorable enormous bear… I'm so happy he's back, I'm really happy for you, Han"

Hanna "Thanks… me too" she says smiling. "Where's Toby, though?"

Spencer "He's at the next-door neighbor's house… he is giving him a hand with the house, the guy just moved in"

Hanna "The house where that old man that passed away last year lived in? The one who Toby used to hang out with sometimes?"

Spencer "Yeah… that one… this guy is his grandson… he came last year to visit his grandpa just to find out that he had passed away three weeks before, and well, Toby had to tell him the bad news…" he tells Hanna while taking some vegetables from the fridge.

Hanna "Really? What a shitty situation"

Spencer nods "Yeah… Toby and I were leaving to spend the weekend at my parents' lake house and when we came back on Monday and Toby went visit him, he was already gone… He didn't come back until yesterday morning" she starts to wash the vegetables in the sink "Anyway, he seems a nice guy… Toby also invited him to come to Ali's with us last night, but he wasn't in the mood"

Hanna "Yeah, it must be hard to come back to your dead grandpa's house"

Spencer "I guess…"

Hanna "Want some help with that?"

Spencer "Nah, I got this… it's just a salad… so, is everything okay with Jordan?" she asks again

Hanna "Yeah, why?"

Spencer "I don't know… I'm just asking… you had a fight last night, and well, now you stayed in Rosewood, and-"

Hanna "Emily is so gossipy! Jordan and I are fine. I stayed here because I just found Chocolate and I'm not leaving him behind" she says annoyed.

Spencer "Emily didn't tell me anything, you looked so sad when you came back after talking with him last night… and it happens every time you guys fight on the phone, so I just-"

Hanna "Well, we are fine" she cuts Spencer off "I'll be right back, I need to take a puff" she says and goes outside, because she knows Spencer hates the smell of cigarette in her house.

/

Hanna is sitting on a step at Spencer's and Toby's house's entrance, smoking her cigarette when she sees Toby coming out from the house next door, and right after him, THAT guy. Yes, she can't believe what her eyes are seeing, but it is what it is, that's clearly him, the guy she has kicked out from her house a few hours ago, and the same one she has gone looking for with Chocolate after realizing that her dog had a certain attachment to him, and after considering that it seemed like he had taken a good care of Chocolate and that she hadn't been too fair to him. And now that Spencer just told her a little bit about her new neighbor and she puts the puzzle pieces together she can't help feeling even more guilty by realizing that maybe he was having a really hard time a year ago when he found her dog, and that she definitely should have given him a chance to explain himself before blaming him for stealing her dog.

Toby and Caleb go back inside after taking a table and a couple of chairs out of the house, leaving the front door of Caleb's house wide open and without even noticing Hanna. She takes the opportunity to get back into Spencer's house. She goes right back to the kitchen.

Spencer "I'm sorry Han, I didn't mean to upset you" she turns to look at her and finds Hanna taking her purse "Are you leaving? Don't go, I'm sorry"

Hanna "It's okay, Spence… I'll be right back… there's something I need to take care of" she says while leaving the room in a hurry.

Spencer follows her to the front door "Where are you going?"

Hanna "I'll be right back" she yells once she is out the house and walking to her car.

Spencer "Hanna, what the fuck?" she yells back, but Hanna is already in her car and she drives away.

/

A few minutes later, Hanna parks her car, but this time, she parks it in front of Caleb's house. The front door is still open and there is some more furniture outside the house now. Hanna gets out of her car and goes open one of the rear doors.

Hanna "Okay, baby… go say hi" she says while moving to the side, letting the dog out.

Chocolate jumps out of the car and runs right into the house. Caleb and Toby are in the kitchen, having some water while taking a break from their hard work when the dog shows up there and throws himself toward Caleb, standing on his hind legs and pressing his paws against Caleb's chest.

Caleb "Hey buddy! What are you doing here?" he says to the dog while stroking him with his free hand, completely surprised to see him.

Toby "Maybe he ran away from Hanna again"

Caleb "Well, if that's the case, you are taking him back to her, I don't want to have that freaking crazy bitch yelling at me again. I already had enough of her and I definitely don't want to have anything to do with her" he says as he places his glass in the sink "Hi buddy" he greets the dog again, taking the dog's ears in his hands and squeezing them softly.

Hanna "That's not needed…" she says, standing at the door frame of the kitchen and making Caleb go white "Sorry, the door was open and I just let myself in. You can keep him for a little while… I'm having lunch with Spencer, and I'll come for him later when I leave" she says and walks away.

Caleb "Shit, I screwed up" he says to Toby once Hanna is gone.

Toby "Yes, man… I told you, she's a good person"

Caleb "I'll go apologize to her" he says, leaving the room too.

Caleb "Hey, Hanna" he says when he catches up with her outside "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

Hanna cuts him off "Just go back with Chocolate before I change my mind" she only says and turns around to go on her way back to her friends' house.

Caleb turns around and goes back to his house where Chocolate is waiting for him at the front door.

/

Spencer "Hey, what was all that?" she asks to Hanna when she gets back in the kitchen.

Hanna "This guy, your new neighbor, he's the one who found and kept Chocolate" she says as she has seat at the kitchen island where Spencer has set the table.

Spencer stares at her. "Caleb?"

Hanna "It seems so… I saw him coming out from the house next door with Toby and I recognized him… I just went for Chocolate and took him there with him and Toby… I'm picking him up later"

Spencer smiles at her "That's great, Han" she says while handing her a plate of salad "That's really kind of you"

Hanna shrugs and takes the plate "I'm not so sure if I did right"

Spencer "He's a nice guy… Did you talk to him?"

Hanna "No" she says and takes a bite of her food.

Spencer "You should… I'm sure he didn't mean to take Chocolate away from you"

Hanna "Yeah, I know… after you told me what happened to him last year… I guess he didn't even think it through… but I don't feel like talking to him anyway, I don't care… all that matters to me is that my dog is back with me now"

Spencer "So, are you letting him see Chocolate once in a while?"

Hanna shrugs again "I don't know Spence, let's just talk about something else"

/

Later.

Hanna comes out from Spencer's house and sees a group of guys taking the furniture outside Caleb's house and getting it in a big truck. Toby is standing aside, supervising the whole thing, so Hanna approaches him.

Hanna "What's all this? Didn't he just move in?"

Toby "Yeah, but he is remodeling the whole house, so he is giving away all the old furniture"

Hanna "Can you please go inside and get me my dog?"

Toby "You should go for him yourself, Caleb wants to apologize to you, he is in the living room and Chocolate is there with him too"

Hanna "Please, Toby"

Toby "OK, fine…" he says and goes into the house.

But a few seconds later, Caleb is the one who comes out from the house with Chocolate and approaches Hanna.

Caleb "Hey" he smiles at her as Chocolate greets Hanna like if he hadn't seen her for years although they were just a couple hours.

Hanna "Hi baby" she says to the dog, obviously, with a smile on her face, while caressing the top of his head. Then she looks up at Caleb "Well, we should go now, bye" she just says and she is about to walk away but Caleb stops her.

Caleb "Wait"

Hanna looks back at him.

Caleb "I really am sorry for what happened today, for what I said… I was still mad for what happened this morning. But anyway, I shouldn't have said those things about you, I'm sorry"

Hanna's phone starts ringing.

Hanna "Excuse me, I've gotta take this, it's my mom" she says to Caleb and answers her phone "Hey, mom!"

Ashley "Hanna, I just got home and your baggage is still here, are you leaving later?"

Hanna "No, I'm not going anywhere… I'll stay some more days" she says smiling.

Ashley "Really? That's good news"

Hanna "Yeah"

Ashley "So, what happened?"

Hanna "Nothing happened, I just decided to stay. Anyway, I'm going home now, I'll see you there"

Ashley "OK, see you then, bye"

Hanna ends the call and looks at Caleb "Hey, it's OK. You don't need to apologize to me. I wasn't so nice to you either. I gotta go now"

Caleb "Still, I shouldn't have said those things"

Hanna "It's OK" she says again "bye"

Caleb "Wait" he stops Hanna again "I would like to talk to you, clear things up… I know Chocolate is your dog… when I took him with me, it wasn't my intention to take him away from his family… anyway, I'm very attached to him now, so… I really need to have a talk with you, and-"

Hanna cuts him off "Look, that's not needed. I won't share my dog with you, but If you want to keep seeing him once in a while, we can find a way. I'm leaving now" she says and finally starts walking toward her car followed by Chocolate.

Caleb "Thank you, Hanna" he says to her as he watches her go.

She gives him a brief smile as Chocolate jumps into the car and then she gets in as well.

/

Hanna "Hi, mom" she says while getting in the living room of her mom's house, followed by Chocolate.

Ashley "Hi, honey" she turns down the TV and smiles at her.

Hanna sits next to Ashley on the couch "How was your day?" she asks then.

Ashley "Well, pretty crazy… we are having some issues there at the hotel, but anyway, I'm happy that you stayed…" she says while stroking Chocolate's fur, who is standing in front of her, wagging his tail happily.

Hanna "Yeah, I couldn't just go now that Chocolate is back… and I came here to spend two weeks with you and the guys, after all… I don't feel like leaving earlier"

Ashley "What about Jordan?"

Hanna shrugs "I tried to talk to him, but he didn't answer his phone… he must be busy"

Ashley "Is he coming back here once he's done in Washington?"

Hanna "I have no idea… I hope so…" she says and turns the TV back up.

* * *

Hey! First of all, babies are finally married! :D I'm so happy! They are so cute. I can't believe there are only two episodes left :( I'll miss PLL so bad, well, actually, I'll only miss HALEB!

About this long chapter, things between Hanna and Caleb are a little bit better now haha, and I promise they will get closer and closer from now on in the following chapters, and I'll get rid of Jordan at some point, but I still need him for some more chapters. Thank you for your reviews, really! Keep letting me know what you think.

Till next week! xx


	4. Chapter 4

Hanna is still sitting next to Ashley on the couch when her phone starts to ring on the coffee table. She grabs it while checking the screen. It's Jordan.

Hanna "I'll be right back" she says to her mom and goes up the stairs. Obviously, Chocolate follows her. "Hey, baby" she says on the phone while closing the door of her bedroom after the dog gets in as well. "I was waiting for your call" she says, a little unsure, and hoping her fiancée isn't too mad at her.

Jordan "Hi, Han" he simply says.

Hanna "I'm sorry I didn't go there as I promised, are you mad at me?" she goes straight to the point.

Jordan "Mad is not the word… honestly, I feel a little disappointed… I was really counting on you"

Hanna sits on the edge of the bed "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise"

Jordan "Just like you promised me you would be here tonight?"

Hanna "Please, don't make me feel even worse than I already do… You know I would have gone there if it wasn't for-"

Jordan "I know, I know" he says calm. "I know how much having your dog back means to you… I just… it makes me see like an idiot, I told everyone I would bring my fiancée with me tonight and now, well… I guess I'll have to just make up some excuse… this dinner is such a big deal to my dad"

Hanna "I'm sorry" she says again and lays down on the bed. But gets no answer from Jordan, so she changes the subject "I miss you. Are you coming back here when you are done?"

Jordan "No… I'll stay here for another week… I guess I'll see you back in New York"

Hanna "Okay…" she only says, although she knows she won't make it to New York in just a week, but they having to move to a new place because of Chocolate is not a subject to bring up right now that Jordan is upset.

Jordan "Well, I have to go"

Hanna "Fine… call me later, please"

Jordan "Uh huh"

Hanna "I miss you" she says again. "Do you miss me?"

Jordan "Yes, Han"

Hanna "Tell me that you miss me, please"

Jordan "I miss you…"

Hanna smiles slightly.

Jordan "I'm just too upset to say it right now" he adds and Hanna's smile fades away.

Hanna "Okay. Call me back tonight before you go to sleep… I love you…" she says although she doesn't expect to hear him say it back.

Jordan "Bye, Han" he says and hangs up.

Hanna remains lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling for minutes until her phone starts to ring again, interrupting her thoughts.

Hanna "Hey, Em" she greets her friend.

Emily "Hi Han… we are getting together at Spencer's, Toby is grilling some hamburgers, you are in, right?"

Hanna "I'm not exactly in the mood, Em… and I just came home from Spencer's"

Emily "Come on, it will be fun… besides, it's such a beautiful night, we are gonna be out in the backyard, having some drinks, you can bring Chocolate"

Hanna "I don't know, Em"

Emily "Please? We all will be there… I'm picking you up in an hour, fine?"

Hanna "Okay, fine…"

Emily "Perfect!" she says excited before ending the call.

/

Hanna, Emily, Alison and Chocolate get inside Spencer's and Toby's house after Ezra opens the door for them.

Ezra "We are in the backyard" he says after greeting the girls.

They all go through the house until they reach the kitchen where a sliding glass door connects the house with the backyard. Ezra, Emily and Alison go outside while Hanna stays in the kitchen in order to put some bottles that she brought in the fridge. When she is done, she looks at her dog.

Hanna "Come on, babe" she says in a warm voice to him and goes outside as well. *Shit* is the word that comes to her mind when she looks up and spots Caleb standing next to Toby. If she was barely in the mood to come, having to deal with this guy for the third time in the day makes it even worse. "Hey everyone" she just says, greeting them all at once in order to avoid having to talk to him.

But of course, Chocolate approaches Caleb and greets him excitedly, and that annoys Hanna, making her mood lower.

Caleb "Wow! Twice in a day! I wasn't expecting this at all" he smiles, happy to get to hang with Chocolate again, while stroking the dog's fur.

Hanna can't help but roll her eyes and goes sit next to Emily at the picnic table.

Caleb "Hi, Chocolate!" he says to the dog, still caressing him.

Emily looks confused at Hanna and so does Alison, but Aria is the one who speaks out.

Aria "Did we miss something?" she asks, since all that she and the girls know about Caleb is that he is Toby's and Spencer's new neighbor and they don't get how could he know the dog.

Hanna shrugs "Ask him, I'm just a crazy bitch" she quotes Caleb's words from earlier that day.

Aria turns her gaze to Caleb, but Caleb smiles at Hanna "Hey, I said I was sorry, I thought we were okay now" he says while walking toward her "I'm the freaking thief who stole Chocolate" he says playfully, quoting the words that Hanna used to refer to him as well and he rests his arm over Hanna's shoulders.

Hanna "Keep your hands off me" she says annoyed and pushes his arm away.

Emily smiles amused at Caleb's sassiness.

Aria "What a coincidence" she says and sits at the table as well.

Spencer approaches Hanna and pours her some beer.

Alison "So, where are you from?"

Caleb shrugs "Many places… I was in Allentown during the last year, though… and the two previous years in London, because of work"

Emily "Really? And what do you do for living?"

Caleb "Computer security… I keep the hackers out…"

Hanna "What a nerd" she rolls her eyes.

Caleb "Hey!" he says amused and elbows her softly.

Aria "That sounds interesting" she says with a smile, trying to be kind after Hanna's comment.

The group keep talking but Hanna is absent-minded and not paying attention to them when she gets a text. "Hey! What's fucking wrong with you? Why the fuck aren't you here?". It's a text from George, Jordan's best friend and his father's campaign manager.

Hanna stands up without saying a word and gets into the house.

Caleb "Is she always like this?" he asks, noticing Hanna's low mood.

Emily shakes her head and stands up as well to go after Hanna. Aria follows her.

When Emily and Aria get in the kitchen, Hanna is standing there, resting her back against the counter, typing on her phone.

Emily "You okay?"

Hanna looks up at her "I'm just in no mood to be here… I shouldn't have come in the first place, I don't wanna ruin the night for you guys"

Aria "Is this because of Caleb?"

Hanna "What? No!… that stupid guy is not even important enough to make me upset"

Emily "So? What is it?"

Hanna sighs "Nothing… It's just… things aren't coming out as I wish" she grabs her purse "Can you please take me home, Em?"

Emily "Are you sure?"

Hanna nods.

Aria "Please, stay… talk to us"

Hanna "Not now… I just wanna go home…"

Aria "Okay… I'll go for Chocolate then"

Hanna "Thank you"

Aria goes out, back to the backyard where Chocolate is playing with Caleb and Toby, running and jumping all around them.

Aria "Hey, Chocolate, let's go" she calls for him, but the dog doesn't pay attention to her. So, Caleb intervenes.

Caleb "Hey, come here, buddy" he says to the dog while approaching Aria and Chocolate goes along with him.

Aria "Hanna is leaving, can you take him inside, with her?"

Caleb nods. "Sure"

When Caleb gets in the kitchen with Chocolate, Emily goes outside to get her purse and there's an awkward silence until Caleb breaks the ice.

Caleb "Are you leaving?"

Hanna "Yeah"

Caleb "Why?"

Hanna "Why do you even care? You don't even know me"

Caleb shrugs "Just asking… I know you aren't too happy to hang out with me, I didn't even know you would come when Toby invited me, but I thought we were okay now, anyway I-"

Hanna cuts him off "Oh, please. You are not the reason why I'm leaving. Besides, I wasn't hanging out with you, I was hanging out with my friends and you happened to be there too, that's all"

Caleb "Well, I'll leave anyway, you should stay"

Hanna "No, I'm leaving because I wanna leave, you stay"

Hanna's phone interrupts them. She takes a look at the screen and it's George. She sighs before answering the call "Hey" it's all that she says before a yelling starts to be heard through her phone although it is not on speaker "What the shit, Hanna? You were fucking supposed to be here, damn it! What the fuck were you thinking? Are you serious? You are such a selfish bitch! Fuck! I can't believe you!" he cusses her out.

Hanna is baffled when she opens her mouth to reply, but before she has the chance to say a word, Caleb snatches her phone from her hand and slides his finger on the screen, hanging up on George.

Hanna "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" she yells at him, really annoyed.

Caleb shrugs "Something you should have done yourself but you didn't have the balls… you shouldn't let anyone yell at you like that" he says while handing her phone back to her.

Hanna rolls her eyes and takes her phone "Well, it wasn't your call, mind your own business, you freak! You didn't have the right to do such a thing! What the hell is wrong with you? Stop meddling in my life. I barely met you yesterday but yet somehow you managed to ruin my last year. I tried to be nice to you today, but damn! You are such a pain in the ass! You are so annoying! You are such an annoying nosy idiot dog thief!" she says, even more annoyed than before "What an annoying-ass you are!" she adds at the end.

But all that she gets from Caleb is a laugh.

Caleb "Okay, so now I am not only a dog thief but also an annoying nosy… idiot…" he says amused and bites his bottom lip while smiling.

Hanna wasn't expecting that reaction from him at all, and it takes her by surprise, so she forces herself to remain serious and hold back a little smile that threatens to escape from her lips.

Caleb "Oh, and a pain in the ass too, I forgot that one" he adds then and smiles amused once more.

Hanna "Fuck you" she says but this time, her lips curl up into a smile.

Caleb laughs and makes Hanna smile even more.

Hanna "I hate you"

Caleb "You can't hate me, you don't even know me" he jokes, using her words against her again.

Hanna "Yeah, I assure you that I can and I do" she jokes back.

Caleb "Anyway, seriously, why are you leaving? If it is not me… Is there anything going on with any of the guys? They all seem pretty cool…"

Hanna "No, of course not… It's just that… there are some things that aren't going so well… and… well, nothing, I just wanna go home"

Caleb "Go home and what? Be miserable all alone? Just stay here with your friends and have a good time, that's what friends are for" he casually says while caressing Chocolate's head, who has just sat down next to him.

Hanna just stares at him.

Caleb "Really… I mean, is there anything you could do to make things better from home? I don't know what's going on in your life, but-"

Emily gets in the room, interrupting Caleb. "Ready?" she asks while going through her purse, looking for her car keys.

Hanna "Well, I actually… I'll stay" she says and Caleb gives her a smile.

/

It's five in the morning when Caleb comes out from the house after using the bathroom just to find Hanna in the same position that she was when he went into the house a few minutes ago, she's sitting in a garden armchair, wrapped in a blanket, but she is using her phone now, since Toby and Spencer are still sitting on the couch next to her, but they are making out now, instead of chatting with Hanna as they were some minutes before. Aria and Ezra left early, shortly after dinner, and Emily and Alison left just half an hour ago, both of them really wasted, but although Caleb offered them to give them a ride, they took a cab, leaving Emily's car behind.

Caleb "Seems like we should leave these two alone" he says amused while having seat in another armchair at the other side of Hanna.

Hanna raises her gaze from her phone and looks at him "Welcome to my world, I'm always the third wheel in this group of friends" they start chatting, ignoring the horny couple next to them.

Caleb chuckles "It's always like this?"

Hanna nods "Yeah… well, they all have been dating since high school, so… yes"

Toby stands up from the couch, carrying Spencer along with him, holding her from the back of her thighs and making her giggle. "Well, guys… I'm… whatever, you can stay as long as you want" he says without bothering to explain anything as he goes into the house with her drunk girlfriend in his arms.

Hanna "Hey! It's very rude of you two to go fuck when you still have guests at your place" she yells at them.

Caleb laughs and then looks back at Hanna who is back at typing on her phone. That's when he gets to see the diamond ring on her finger.

Caleb "Why are you always the third wheel? Isn't your fiancée part of this group of friends too?"

Hanna puts down her phone. "No… Jordan is some years older than us… and well, he is not from here, so he only got to hang out with them a few times"

Caleb "Where is he from?"

Hanna "New York… I moved in with him some months ago"

Caleb nods.

Hanna "I'm here just to visit the guys, and my mom… I'm going back to New York in a couple weeks"

Caleb turns his gaze to Chocolate who has been sleeping on the floor next to Hanna almost the whole night and stares at him.

Hanna notices that. "I'm sorry… I'm taking him with me. I won't leave him behind, I can't…. But I promise I will let you see him at least once a day until we leave"

Caleb nods "thank you" it's all that he says, because he can't ask her for any more. It's her dog after all.

There remain silent for a few seconds until Hanna talks again.

Hanna "Why didn't you tell me about what happened with your grandpa?"

Caleb "Because there's no excuse for what I did… I shouldn't have left the town with a dog that wasn't mine"

Hanna "Well, still… I can't assure you that I wouldn't have yelled at you the way I did if you had told me about it, but I don't know… I would probably have understood you a little better"

Caleb smiles at her. "I'm sorry for calling you a crazy bitch… it was so wrong. I felt really bad when I find out that you were there to let me see the dog while I was talking shit about you without even knowing you"

Hanna "It's okay, I'm sorry too, I treated you like shit too… and I have to admit you took good care of my baby" she smiles back.

Caleb "So, you don't hate me after all?"

Hanna chuckles "Well, let's just say that I had a really good time tonight thanks to you for making me stay, so let's just say that I don't hate you anymore, I only despise you now" she jokes.

Caleb laughs. "Well, that's much better, I guess"

Hanna stands up from her seat. "I should get going… it's quite late"

Caleb stands up too. "Do you need a ride?"

Hanna "No, it's okay… I've got these" she says showing up to him the keys to Emily's car.

Once they leave the house, Caleb walks Hanna and Chocolate to Emily's car. Once Hanna gets the dog in the back of the car, she turns to Caleb and hands him her phone.

Hanna "Add your number. Let's stay in touch and I'll let you know when you can come over and pick Chocolate up, like taking him for a walk or… I can take him here too if you want…"

Caleb smiles while typing on her phone. "May I text myself so I get your number as well?" he asks then.

Hanna "Sure"

* * *

Hi :) I'm so glad you guys are liking my story, really, thank you for your support and your reviews which I love, by the way. "S" what you suggested in your review is exactly what was crossing my mind when I wrote that part of Hanna smoking in the previous chapter, but not only to deal with losing Chocolate, also when she fights with Jordan. Anyway, I haven't developed it yet, but I think I will.

I can't believe PLL will be over this Tuesday, I'm not ready to let HALEB go yet :( I'll miss them.


	5. Chapter 5

Hanna's phone wakes her up. She grabs it from her bedside table and answers the call, still half asleep.

Hanna "Hey"

Jordan "Hanna? Are you okay?"

Hanna "Oh, hi baby" she says now that she recognizes his voice.

Jordan "I called you like ten times"

Hanna "I'm sorry, I was sleeping"

Jordan "So late?"

Hanna "What time is it?"

Jordan "Two in the afternoon"

Hanna "Oh, right… I stayed up late last night, I was at Spencer's with the guys… You didn't call me last night though, you were supposed to call me before going to bed"

Jordan "Yeah, sorry… I was tired"

Hanna "It's okay… how was the dinner?"

Jordan "It was a disaster"

Hanna "Really? Why?"

Jordan "It was pretty boring… awkward… my father didn't impress any of them because they didn't even seem interested into his political proposals, so he tried to make some conversation and it didn't go so well… it was such a lame dinner"

Hanna "Oh… I'm sorry… I should have been there with you"

Jordan "It's okay, there's nothing you could have done to save the night"

Hanna "Yeah… I know, but still… George called me, though"

Jordan "Really? I didn't know. What did he want?"

Hanna "Nothing, he was kind of mad"

Jordan "What did he tell you?"

Hanna "Nothing, we didn't talk much" she lies. "I guess he was pissed off because of the dinner… Anyway, we need to talk, babe"

Jordan "About?"

Hanna "Chocolate…"

Jordan "What's with him?"

Hanna "We need to figure out what to do, I mean, when I take him to New York"

Jordan "What?"

Hanna "What, what? He is coming to New York to live with us"

Jordan "You are not being serious, are you? Pets aren't allowed in our apartment building"

Hanna "Of course I'm being serious, what do you think I'll do? Leave him behind? We need to find a new place to move in"

Jordan "I can't move out of my apartment, I don't want to, I love it there and it's close to my office"

Hanna "It's our apartment now, and we have no other option. We can find a nice place in the area"

Jordan "We shouldn't discuss this on the phone"

Hanna "Then come back here, you were supposed to be here with me for another week"

Jordan "I can't leave. Much less after last night's disaster"

Hanna sighs "Fine… but… we need to sort this out… and I won't be in New York next week as I said, so when you are done there in Washington, I'll be waiting for you here, and I really hope you make some time to spend a few days here with me and my family, my friends… It would mean a lot to me, I really want you to come back here"

Jordan sighs too "Well, I have to go now, but I'll try to make some time, I promise"

Hanna smiles slightly "Thank you… it doesn't have to be a whole week, I will be fine if you can come to spend a weekend in Rosewood at least, and then we can go back to New York together"

Jordan "Uh huh"

Hanna "I miss you"

Jordan "I miss you too. I'll call you tomorrow… Bye, Han"

Hanna "Bye, babe… have a good day" she says before Jordan ends the call.

Hanna gets up from the bed and goes take a shower. When she gets back in her bedroom, wrapped in a towel, she grabs her phone and she's got a text.

"Hey, Han… Sorry I'm bothering you, but it's a beautiful day outside and I just thought I could take Chocolate to the park, if you don't mind of course. Caleb"

Hanna "Hey! Yeah, no problem, come over whenever you want, I'll be here"

Caleb "Thanks :) I'll come over in an hour, is that okay?"

Hanna "Yeah, in an hour is fine" she sends the text and starts to get dressed.

/

Right one hour later, Hanna answers the door just to find Caleb standing there.

Hanna "Hey! You are really punctual!"

Caleb "I guess I am"

Hanna turns around to go get Chocolate but right at that moment he rushes out the house to greet Caleb before she has the chance to call for him.

Caleb "Hey, buddy!" he greets the dog as well.

Hanna laughs "He gets so excited!"

Caleb chuckles "Yeah, he has no midpoint, he is either excited or taking a nap"

Hanna smiles "Exactly" she says while handing Caleb the leash.

Caleb puts the dog on the leash and then he looks up at Hanna. "What are you doing? Wanna join us?"

Hanna "Well…" she starts saying, but Caleb interrupts her.

Caleb "It's okay if you don't want to, I was just saying…"

Hanna "No, sure, I would love to… but… I just thought you would want to spend some time alone with him…"

Caleb shakes his head. "It's settled then, you are coming with us"

Hanna smiles "Okay, just let me go get my stuff… come on in" she says, moving to the side, making some room for him to get into the house as well.

/

Hanna "We should go sit over there" she says, pointing a spot under a tree where she usually hangs with Chocolate when they go to that park.

Hanna sits down on the grass and Caleb does the same. Chocolate lies down before them.

Hanna "We always come here to chill out, right, baby?" she leans forward and strokes the dog's fur.

Chocolate rolls over, exposing his tummy for Hanna to stroke him there, making her smile as she does so. And Caleb can't help but stare at her, how the sunlight illuminates her makeup free face and the way the light breeze blows her blonde hair, and of course, her shinny smile and the happiness that her dog brings to her which is visible in her face. She's just beautiful and he can't help starting to think of making a move on her, like asking her out on a date, or anything, but then he lowers his gaze to her hand and that damn diamond ring reminds him that she is taken, of course she is. So, he pushes his thoughts to the back of his mind.

Caleb "So, how old is he?" he asks, trying to make some conversation.

Hanna "He's three years and a half... how old did you think he was?"

Caleb "Well, the vet said he was definitely more than two and less than five years old, so I guess he was right"

Hanna nods.

Caleb "Where did you get him from?"

Hanna "My dad gave me him as a gift for my birthday"

Caleb "Best present ever, huh?"

Hanna "Yeah..."

Caleb "Hey! You don't sound so convincing"

Hanna smiles slightly, still staring at the dog "Of course he is the best present I ever received… it's just that my dad got me him because he fucked up… he forgot my birthday, so he had to make it up to me with a good gift"

Caleb "Really?"

Hanna "Yeah, we weren't in a good place back then, but anyway, I'm glad he forgot my birthday, I wouldn't have this adorable huge bear otherwise… you should have seen my mom's face when my dad came through the door with Chocolate, even when he was a puppy, he was already huge… but he was so cute!"

Caleb smiles "Show me some pictures"

Hanna takes her phone from her purse and after just a few seconds she hands it to Caleb "Here".

Caleb takes her phone "You are right, he was huge"

Hanna smiles widely "Look, he is wearing a cap and a t-shirt in that one, he looks like a little boy"

Caleb chuckles "He was adorable"

Hanna "He still is" she says while starting to stroke the dog again.

An hour later they are still sitting on the ground while chatting.

Hanna "Really? He did that?" she asks, laughing out loud.

Caleb "Yeah, my friend had taken a lot of girls to the apartment before, several times, but Chocolate took a poop on the expensive shoes of the only one who said she didn't like dogs and refused to spend the night there because of him" he tells her, going on with the funny anecdote.

Hanna "He's a smart boy" she smiles amused.

Caleb "Yeah, he is"

Hanna "Are you sure it was a girl who slept with a friend of yours or you are just avoiding admitting it was one of your conquests?"

Caleb laughs "I swear it was my friend… I would have kicked her out right then if she had made me choose between the dog or her… besides, why wouldn't I tell you the truth?"

Hanna "I guess you are right" she smiles amused once more.

Caleb "I can't believe him, we take him to the park and he just takes a nap as if he were in the house" he says while staring at Chocolate who is sound asleep.

Hanna takes her purse "I brought something" she says while looking into her purse, and then she takes out the little red ball that Caleb left her the day before along with the rest of Chocolate's belongings. "Here" she says and hands it to Caleb.

Caleb "Thanks" he says and stands up, then he calls for the dog "Come on, Chocolate, look what I've got" he says, showing the ball to the dog who quickly stands up and rushes toward him.

Caleb throws the ball away and Chocolate goes for it, and they repeat that over and over again until Caleb sees that Hanna stands up, so he approaches her.

Hanna "You can keep him a little longer if you want" she smiles at him "I'll go for something to eat because I skipped lunch today and I'm starving… just drop him off at my house later"

Caleb "Can I come with you?" he asks without thinking and then realizes that maybe he is being too meddlesome again "Sorry, I'm being a pain in the ass again" he smiles awkwardly and runs his hand through his hair.

Hanna "What? No, of course you can come!"

Caleb "Great, I really need some coffee, I barely slept last night" he says and then takes the red ball from Chocolate's mouth who has just brought it back "Come on, Chocolate, let's go" he says while leaning forward to put him back on the leash.

Hanna "Why?"

Caleb "Well, we stayed at Toby's until five in the morning, and then I got up early because I had a few things to do in the house, so…"

Hanna "Oh, yeah, Toby said you were remodeling the entire house, how is it going? Sounds like a lot of work"

Caleb "Yeah, it actually is… and I have just started…"

They talk about Caleb's plans over the house the entire way until they get to a nice small restaurant where they sit at a table outside, first because they are with the dog and second because it's a really beautiful day. Hanna orders a salad and Caleb orders just a coffee.

Caleb chuckles "You said you were starving and you order just a salad?" he says when the waitress walks away.

Hanna "It's past four in the afternoon, I'll have dinner in a few hours anyway" she smiles.

Caleb "Right"

Hanna "So… are you planning to stay after you are done with the house?" she asks, trying to make conversation.

Caleb shrugs "I don't know… I'll see I guess…"

Hanna nods.

Caleb "I've never lived in the same place for more than a couple years"

Hanna "Why? Did your family move around a lot when you were a child?"

Caleb "Kind of…" he just says and changes the subject. "How long have you been with your fiancée?"

Hanna "A little less than a year…"

Caleb "And you are already getting married?"

Hanna "Yeah, what's wrong with it?"

Caleb shrugs "I don't know, I just thought people took more time before making such a life changing decision. But I guess it's fine if that's what you want"

Hanna nods "Yeah, he is my rock… I met him the night Chocolate went missing and he has been there for me at my worst"

Caleb "I'm sorry for taking Chocolate with me, really"

Hanna "It's okay, you apologized like a million times already"

Caleb "Yeah, but I feel like an idiot every time I see how much you love him, and I also feel that apologizing to you is not enough"

Hanna "It's okay" she says softly and not so convinced, because she can't just forget all the pain she went through because of losing her dog, she can't let it go so easily. But at the same time, Caleb is nice and he does seem regretful to her, so that's why she keeps telling him that it's okay when she knows it's not.

Caleb "And thank you for letting me spend some time with Chocolate" he adds, interrupting her thoughts.

Hanna "Yeah… I'm sorry I'm taking him to New York, but I can't live without him... anyway, if you decide to keep the house once it is finished, then you will be able to keep seeing him once in a while, I mean, my mom lives here and I'll come to visit her with Chocolate"

Caleb "Well, you just gave me the first reason to stay"

Hanna chuckles "How many reasons do you need? I might can help you to find some more"

Caleb laughs "Yesterday you said you hated me and now you want me to stay in the town?"

Hanna rolls her eyes "I'm doing this for Chocolate, I don't know why, but he seems to be really attached to you"

Caleb "Admit that you are starting to like me as well"

Hanna chuckles "Well, I no longer hate you, and I could tell that after today, I don't despise you either, so… I guess you are just okay"

Caleb smiles amused "Well, if we keep going this way, you might fall in love with me in matter of days" he jokes.

Hanna "Oh, please… sure I will… I'll leave my handsome, lovely and perfect fiancée for you" she rolls her eyes but smiles amused as well.

Caleb laughs too and the waitress comes with their order.

/

Later.

Hanna, Caleb and Chocolate get to Hanna's house's front door and after she opens the door, Chocolate gets inside immediately, he's completely exhausted so he lies down right next to the door and closes his eyes.

Caleb chuckles. "He's unbelievable"

Hanna chuckles too and her phone starts ringing in her purse, so she takes it and answers the call as she steps into the house.

Hanna "Hey, Spence! How are you doing? How are you handling your hangover so far?" she teases her while gesturing Caleb to get inside as well.

Caleb gets into the house and closes the door behind him.

Hanna "Yeah, sure… but you should come over here this time, my mom isn't here and she won't be back until tomorrow… yeah, she's at Ted's… well, it's settled then, talk to the guys… it's the same, I'll be here, you can come whenever you want, it's okay… Perfect. See you" she ends the call and lays her phone on the coffee table.

Caleb "Well… I should get going"

Hanna "Stay, the guys are coming over, Spencer said that she and Toby had something to tell us, so we are ordering some pizza and hanging out"

Caleb "I don't wanna intrude… I already sneaked in your meeting last night, besides, if Spencer said-"

Hanna cuts him off "Oh, please, the nosy guy now gets worried about intruding…" she rolls her eyes in a funny way.

Caleb "If you want me to stay, you won't get anything by going back to insulting me" he says playfully.

Hanna "Toby invited you last night, and I am inviting you tonight, so, stay and be the third wheel with me again, please?"

Caleb chuckles "That's what it is all about, you just don't wanna be left out when they all start making out like last night"

Hanna "Of course that was why, did you think I was asking you to stay because I liked you or something? I barely can stand you" she jokes.

Caleb "Well, then I'll stay just to bother you a little" he jokes back.

Hanna "Thank you, you are really kind" she says sarcastically and amused.

/

An hour later, Hanna answers the door while laughing out loud.

Hanna "Hey!" she greets Aria, Spencer and Toby between laughing.

Spencer "Are you drunk already?" she asks amused.

When Hanna shakes her head no, still laughing, and opens the door widely, the trio gets to see Caleb sitting on the couch back in the living room, he is laughing as well.

Hanna "It's just this guy, he's such an idiot" she says between laughs.

Toby "Hey! What are you doing here, man?!" he says with a smile on his face while stepping into the house, followed by his girlfriend and Aria.

Caleb "I came to see Chocolate, and well, Han invited me to stay since you were coming" he only says as they all have seats around him.

Hanna sits down next to him on the couch. "Where's Ezra?" she asks to Aria.

Aria "He has a meeting early in the morning, so he stayed in… I was gonna too, but this one here was very insistent on making me come" she smiles at Spencer.

Hanna "So, what is it?" she asks to Spencer.

Spencer "We still have to wait for Ali and Em to be here as well"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "Oh, come on, just spit it out"

Spencer "I'm not telling you anything"

Hanna "Toby?"

Toby just smiles amused and shakes his head.

Hanna "Let me see your hand" she says to Spencer.

Spencer shows both hands to Hanna.

Hanna "So, you aren't getting married?" she asks when she sees no ring.

Spencer shakes her head. "Can't you just be a little more patient?"

Toby chuckles. "Of course she can't, she's Hanna"

Hanna "Hey!"

Toby only gives her a smile in response. "So, should I order some pizza?"

Caleb "Hanna and I already did that"

Spencer "Great, I'm starving"

Hanna "Yeah, me too"

Caleb "Because you only had a salad during all day long"

Aria chuckles. "How much time did you two spend together?" she asks and narrows her eyes.

And Spencer and Toby stare at them expectantly too.

Hanna rolls her eyes. "Just a few hours, we took Chocolate to the park" she says and then she suddenly feels the need to bring Jordan up to the conversation. "I talked to Jordan this morning, he maybe come here for a weekend"

Aria "Really? That's great, we barely saw him the other day"

Hanna nods. "Yeah, he is kind of busy there in Washington, but he will try to come over at least for a weekend and then we are going back to New York"

Spencer "I don't want you to go, though… I'll miss my Hanna Banana" she smiles at her.

Hanna smiles back "Hey, I will come to visit you soon"

Aria "It's not the same"

The doorbell interrupts them, they are Alison and Emily and they join the group in the living room, having seats as well.

Hanna "So? We are all here now, start talking"

Caleb "Please, just tell her what's going on, she has been driving me nuts since you call her on the phone"

Hanna "Hey!" she elbows him in the ribs.

Spencer smiles at Toby who nods, and then she turns her gaze back to the group.

Spencer "Toby and I are having a baby" she says with a huge smile on her face.

They all get excited and greet them. After exchanging hugs with the couple, everyone sits back on their seats.

Hanna "I can't believe this, it's so amazing"

Emily "I thought you were getting married or something like that"

Hanna "Yeah, I never imagined you would tell us that you were pregnant, even less after how much you drunk last night"

Spencer lowers her gaze "Yeah, I feel really guilty about that, but I didn't know it then"

Toby presses a kiss on her temple "We just found out a couple hours ago"

Spencer "Uh huh, I have been feeling sick lately, but this morning I woke up feeling like crap, even worse than the other days, and it wasn't just a hangover"

Toby "Anyway, we are keeping this a secret for now, it's too early and we want to make sure that everything is okay, but we wanted to share it with you guys"

Alison "You will be such amazing parents!" she says happily.

Hanna "You okay?" she whispers to Caleb who is still sitting next to her, because he is too quiet.

Caleb gives her a smile and nods.

The doorbell rings once more.

Hanna "That must be the delivery"

Caleb "I'll go" he says and stands up.

Hanna stands up too and goes after him.

Hanna "Are you sure you are okay?" she asks while closing the door after getting the delivery.

Caleb is holding three pizza boxes in his hands. "Yeah… it's just that I feel like I shouldn't be here, that was such an intimate moment between you guys, and Spencer and Toby want some privacy with this thing, and-"

Hanna cuts him off "Hey! Don't be stupid, Toby is trying to get you in the group, so it's fine. Just chill" she says but Caleb doesn't seem so convinced yet, so she goes on "Really, they are all pretty cool and great people, besides, they will need someone to be the third wheel and cockblock them when I'm gone" she says amused "And you also could use some friends if you decide to stay in Rosewood… I think I just gave you the second reason to stay, they are great friends" she smiles kindly.

Caleb smiles back.

Hanna "Let's go now, I'm freaking starving" she says and turns around to go back to the living room.

/

Two hours later, they are all gone since it's Sunday and they all have to work the next day, except for Aria and Caleb who have stayed a little longer to help Hanna clean up.

Aria has offered to wash the glasses so she's in the kitchen and Hanna and Caleb are in the living room. He is throwing the empty pizza boxes and the empty bottles in a trash bag and Hanna is cleaning the coffee table.

Caleb "So... when's the big day?" He suddenly asks, breaking the silence.

Hanna "What?" She asks as she stands up after finishing with the table.

Caleb "The wedding"

Hanna "Oh, right" she smiles. "We haven't set a date yet... but anyway, it won't be any time soon, because Jordan is pretty busy right now, so we just pushed it back, we won't get married until next year"

Caleb "What's more important than getting married? I mean... I'm not exactly a fan of marriage, but he proposed to you, right? Didn't he think of it before doing so?"

Hanna "Hey! You are going back to being an annoying nosy" she says as she grabs a napkin and throws it into the trash bag that Caleb is holding.

Caleb "Yeah, and you are going back to being a bitch... I was just saying..." he takes an empty can and throws it in the bag as well.

Aria enters the room interrupting their conversation, well, the awkwardness.

Hanna "You ready?" She asks to her friend who is standing there with her purse already hanging from her arm.

Aria nods.

Caleb "Well, I should get going..." He says and turns around to caress Chocolate's head who is sleeping on the couch "Good bye, buddy, see you"

Hanna "I'll give you a ride" she tells him.

Caleb "It's okay, I'll walk, they are just a few blocks"

Hanna "Oh, come on, I have to take Aria home anyway, come with us and I'll drop you off at your house on my way back" she says while grabbing her car keys.

Caleb "OK, then..."

/

After dropping Aria off at the apartment that she shares with Ezra, Hanna pulls in Caleb's house's driveway.

Hanna "I didn't mean to be rude back there at my house... it's just a sensitive topic... Jordan proposed to me and right the day after, his father let us know he would run for president and that he would need his help during the campaign and well, we had to postpone it because of that" she finally says.

Caleb "His father is running for president?" He asks surprised.

Hanna "Yeah... that's why Jordan is in Washington right now... anyway, I'm sorry"

Caleb smiles at her. "It's okay, I didn't mean to call you a bitch again either"

Hanna smiles. "We were doing great until that, weren't we?"

Caleb chuckles. "Yeah, we had to ruin it somehow, we couldn't just go through an entire day without insulting each other" he jokes, making Hanna laugh.

Hanna "My tummy hurts for laughing so much today" she says amused.

Caleb smiles at her. "Wanna hang out tomorrow?" He says without thinking and mentally curses himself as Hanna takes a few seconds to answer, seconds that seem like hours to him.

Hanna "Sure... I promised my mom I would go shopping with her, but we can meet later"

Caleb "OK, just let me know anything… bye, Han" he gives her another smile.

Hanna "Bye… see you tomorrow" she says smiling as Caleb opens the door and gets out of the car.

* * *

Heeey :) I'm back with a new chapter which I hope you guys like, since Hanna and Caleb are getting closer and closer! I know you all hate Jordan, but I still need him in this story, there has to be something to stop them from getting together so fast and easy, I wouldn't have a story to write that way.

Let's talk about the PLL finale... what a shitty ending it was... I was expecting so much more than just a twisted twin, really. But anyway, my main reason to watch it was HALEB, and that "Wanna make a baby?" scene made all worth it :D It was the cutest thing ever. I wish we could have seen a little more of that. I'll miss those two so much :( I guess that rewatching their scenes and reading or writting fanfictions it's all that we have left now.

Well, I'm looking forward to see what you think about this chapter. Have a nice week.


	6. Chapter 6

Hanna gets at the Radley Hotel to meet up with Ashley. After stepping off the elevator, she heads right to her mom's office and lets herself in without bothering to knock at the door while using her phone.

Hanna "Hey, mom" she says but when she raises her look from her phone, she realizes that it's not only Ashley in there, there are two other men that she assumes are employees from the hotel, they are sitting across her mom's desk and they seem to be on a meeting. "Sorry, I should have knocked at the door, I'll wait outside"

Ashley "Excuse me for a minute" she says to the men before following Hanna out of her office.

Hanna "Sorry, mom" she repeats again once they are in the hallway and her mother closes the door behind them.

Ashley "It's okay sweetie… look, I know we already had our day planned, but I won't be able to take you out for lunch, and I think I won't be free to go shopping with you either. I'm sorry baby, we are having some problems with the security system and I really need to get that resolved today"

Hanna nods. "It's fine, don't worry… I-"

Another man shows up interrupting them. "Hey, Mrs. Marin. I'm afraid that I won't be able to reconnect the security camera system any time soon. I don't know what's wrong, but it won't work no matter what I try. The security company is trying to fix the system from the central, but it'll take long" he says while scratching his head nervously.

Ashley "Do you think they will be able to solve the problem before this evening?"

Man "I'm not sure"

Ashley sighs. "We need to get this resolved somehow, the senator is having this event at six and we can't just tell his security staff that we have no security system to back them up"

The man nods and gets in Ashley's office.

Ashley looks back at Hanna, but before she could say something, Hanna speaks.

Hanna "Don't worry mom, I'll find something to keep myself entertained" she gives her a smile.

Ashley "Okay, sweetie, see you back at home" she says before getting back into her office.

/

Hanna gets back in her car and before pulling out of the parking lot, she wonders what to do. Her friends are all busy with their jobs just like her mom is, she could go have lunch at some restaurant on her own but it doesn't sound so much fun, so she just drops it and decides to go back home and hang out with Chocolate, which seems the best option to her.

Hanna "Hey, baby" she smiles at the dog that greets her excitedly as always as soon as she comes through the door, although it's only been half an hour since she left. "Let's go for something to eat"

After feeding the dog, Hanna makes a sandwich for herself and sits at the kitchen island. She gets bored while eating in silence so she decides to give Jordan a call, although she knows he is more likely not to answer his phone at that time of the day because he is usually too busy, and she confirms it when she is sent right to his voicemail.

She hasn't forgotten the fact that Caleb asked her to hang out together the night before, and since he was the one who suggested it, she has been waiting for him to get in touch with her, but she changes her mind now seeing that she has nothing else to do, and considering that she had such an amazing time while hanging out with him the day before, she decides to text him. She even smiles while remembering the funny anecdote that he told her about Chocolate when they were at the park.

Hanna "Hey, you, annoying-ass! You asked me to hang out and then disappeared" she texts him.

Only a minute after, she gets a text back. "Hey, Miss Patience, it's not even one in the afternoon. Thought you had plans with your mom"

Hanna "Yeah, but she's busy at work… wanna hang out or not?" she types with an amused smile on her face.

Caleb "Sure… at my own risk… are you treating me like shit all day long or just by texts? :)"

Hanna "I haven't decided it yet. Anyway, I coming over there this time"

Caleb "You sure? It's kind of a mess here, and I don't even have a couch for you to sit, don't you rather go anywhere?"

Hanna "It's fine, don't worry :) Chocolate needs to go out for a walk anyway, we will be there in a little while"

Caleb is standing just in boxers in the middle of the kitchen when he gets that last text from Hanna. "Shit" he says and rushes to the sink to wash a few cups, dishes and glasses that he has left there hours ago, some of them even from the day before. Once he finishes with that, he goes to the empty living room, where there's only a mattress on the floor, since he has given away all the furniture. He is using the living room as his "temporary bedroom" until he finishes the renovations in the actual bedrooms upstairs. He "makes the bed" as fast as he can and picks up some tools from the floor, then he runs upstairs to the main bathroom in order to take a shower before Hanna gets there.

All his hurry is for nothing because after taking a quick shower and getting dressed in a rush, he spends twenty minutes sitting on his mattress before Hanna rings the doorbell, because he doesn't know it yet, but that girl is probably the most unpunctual person in the town.

Caleb "Hey" he says with a smile on his face as soon as he opens the door for Hanna.

But of course, Chocolate rushes into the house before her.

Hanna chuckles while staring at Chocolate who is jumping all around Caleb and then she looks up at him, and still smiling she greets him back. "Hey, you!" she steps into the house too and takes a look around. "How can you say that this is all a mess when you don't have a single thing in here" she says amused as they walk from the front door to the living room. "Even my voice echoes when I speak" she chuckles.

Caleb "Yeah well, I cleaned up a little" he scratches his nape.

Hanna "Well, he is happy to have some room to run around in here" she says while staring at Chocolate who is running around excited. "Here, baby" she says and throws him his red ball. Then she turns back to Caleb "Do you have something to drink? I'm thirsty, it's fucking burning outside"

Caleb "Sure" he says and heads to the kitchen.

Hanna follows him.

Caleb "What would you like?" he asks while looking into the fridge. "Water or… water?"

Hanna laughs. "Water is fine"

Caleb "Sorry, I have nothing else… I should probably go to the store later" he says while handing her a glass of water.

Hanna "Thanks"

Caleb "So, why aren't you shopping with mommy?" he asks playfully as Hanna drinks her water.

Hanna "She's stuck at work… they had some issue with the security system and they were all freaking out because some senator has some kind of event there at the hotel, and well…"

Caleb "What kind of problem do they have with the system? Do you know?"

Hanna "They said something about the cameras" she shrugs and takes another sip of water.

Caleb "With the connection?"

Hanna "I guess… I honestly don't know much about all that stuff"

Caleb gives her a smile. "Maybe I can help… I don't know if you remember when you called me nerd, but I do computer security and that's pretty much alike"

Hanna "It would be great If you could give them a hand with that, my mom was stressing out"

Caleb "Okay, give her a call and if they still need some help, I'll go"

Hanna "Thanks" she says and takes her phone from her purse. When she is with the phone on her ear, waiting for Ashley to answer, she gives Caleb a smile. "I'm sorry for calling you nerd, I wasn't in a good mood the other night"

Caleb "Yeah, I noticed that" he smiles amused while filling a bowl of water for Chocolate. "It's fine"

/

Hanna "Well, my mom says she would love it if you could stop by and give that thing a look, it's still broken" she says while getting in the living room where Caleb is standing.

Caleb nods.

Hanna looks at Chocolate who is drinking the water that Caleb gave him. "Would you mind if he stays here while we go to the hotel? I can't take him there"

Caleb "Han, I know he is yours, but he has been my dog for a whole year, and I still feel him that way, like my dog, so, yes, it's okay, you don't even need to ask…" he forces a smile.

Hanna nods. "Okay, thank you" she says awkwardly without making eye contact with him.

Caleb takes his car keys "Let's go" he says, cutting off the awkward moment.

/

As soon as Hanna and Caleb get in the lobby of the hotel, Ashley approaches them before they can even see her coming. After Hanna briefly introduces Caleb to Ashley, she practically drags Caleb into the security office of the hotel desperate for a solution and full of hope that maybe he can help them with the security system. And Hanna decides to stay in the lounge and wait for them there. She tries calling Jordan again but once more, she gets no answer, so she orders a coffee and keeps herself occupied with her phone during almost two hours.

Finally, Ashley gets back there and sits next to Hanna.

Ashley "He's such a life-saver!" she says excited and Hanna looks up at her. "He fixed the system with just a couple of computers and some other stuff that I don't even know what the hell are, but we have the cameras working again thanks to him"

Hanna "Awesome" she smiles happily and puts her phone down.

Ashley "He's a genius"

Hanna "I'm glad he could help"

Ashley "How comes that you never mentioned him before? I didn't know you had other friends than the guys"

Hanna "He's not my friend, I just met him a couple days ago… he was the idiot who had Chocolate"

Ashley looks surprised. "He had Chocolate all this time and we never saw him?"

Hanna shakes her head. "He wasn't in Rosewood, he just moved in the house next to Toby's the other day… and he happened to be in the town a year ago the night Chocolate went missing" she explains briefly.

Ashley "Oh, what a coincidence! Anyway, he doesn't seem an idiot at all" she says smiling.

Hanna "Yeah, he's nice… but he's still an idiot for taking Chocolate out of the town"

Ashley "Well, the important thing is that you have your dog back with you now and I just found the only man in the town that seems to be capable of keeping my security system working… do you know if he has a job? I could really use someone like him here"

Hanna shrugs. "I don't know… but I don't think he has a job here, I don't know if he is interested in getting one at all… he doesn't know if he will stay in Rosewood yet, but you should ask him anyway"

Ashley "I surely will, he is great"

Caleb shows up over there too and stands before them. "Well, seems like I'm done here, everything is working well so far, but I think you should consider upgrading that system, it's such a shitty system what you have right now" he says and as soon as he finishes that phrase, he regrets his choice of words and corrects himself. "I mean, it could be better" he says a little flushed.

Ashley laughs. "It's okay, Caleb, it's shitty system, I know, but I haven't found anything better in this town… that's what I was telling Han… and I was wondering if you might be interested in getting a job, I would love it if you could take care of our-"

Caleb cuts her off. "Thank you, Mrs. Marin… I'm flattered" he says politely despite having interrupted her. "but I don't know how long I'll be in Rosewood, I mean, I haven't decided yet if I'll stay"

Ashley nods. "I understand… but still, think about it at least"

Caleb gives her a smile. "I will"

One of the men from the hotel security team approaches Caleb asking him some question about the system that he has just put back to work, so Caleb takes some steps away from where Hanna and Ashley are sitting as he talks to the man.

Ashley checks the time on her wrist watch and then looks at Hanna. "We still have time to go out together and do some shopping after all" she smiles.

Hanna looks at her mom. "I…" she starts to say and turns her gaze to Caleb, then back to her mom. "Caleb and I… I left Chocolate back at his place and I should-"

Ashley cuts her off. "It's okay, you have plans already, I get it, I'll see you back at home. I'll just go thank Caleb once more, he literally saved us today" she says and stands up from the couch.

Hanna watches as her mom approaches Caleb and thanks him again before saying goodbye, but when Ashley walks away and Caleb starts walking back toward her, she takes her phone and pretends to be focused on it.

Caleb "Well, I'll go back home so you and your mom can go shopping now that she doesn't have to worry about the security system anymore… well, at least for today, that system is literally shit" he jokes.

Hanna "She can't leave yet, she still has to deal with some other stuff" she says with her eyes still on her phone screen. "I'm going with you" she adds casually and puts her phone into her purse, because there's no way she will admit to him that she canceled on her mom to hang out with him. "If you don't mind, of course" she says then while getting up from the couch where she is sitting.

Caleb "Of course not. Let's go" he gives her a smile.

Hanna smiles back. "Thanks for helping my mom, really. It was really kind of you… you didn't have to" she says as they walk to the elevator.

Caleb "Can't believe you are actually saying something nice to me"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "Don't make me regret it" she says playfully while they step into the elevator.

Caleb chuckles and without thinking, he presses a kiss on her cheek, and right away he mentally curses himself.

Hanna "Hey!" she wipes his kiss off by rubbing her palm on her cheek but she is not pissed at all, in fact, she is smiling widely. "I'm not telling you anything nice again" she adds amused.

Caleb is grateful that she took it in a playful way and chuckles. "I feel sorry for whoever the hell that Jordan guy is" he says now, going on with the joking mood.

Hanna laughs out loud. "You are such an idiot"

/

They go back to Caleb's house.

They take Chocolate out to the backyard and play with him for a while, chasing him, throwing him his favorite ball and Hanna even laughs her ass out when Caleb tries to teach Chocolate a trick and the dog does anything but what he is trying to make him do.

Before they know it, it's dinner time and they order some Chinese food and later, after finishing dinner, they end up watching a movie on Caleb's laptop, sitting on his mattress, resting their backs on some pillows against the wall, and with Chocolate lying down between them. The computer placed on the top of a box in front of them, since Caleb has no furniture in the house at the moment.

At some point Hanna loses her interest in the movie and without realizing, she ends up staring at Caleb's hand as he caresses Chocolate's head while focused on the screen.

Hanna "How did you find him?" she suddenly asks after a few minutes.

Caleb "What?" he looks at her confused, not having a clue of what she's talking about.

Hanna "Chocolate, how did you end up with him?"

Caleb "Oh" he says and reaches out to lower the movie volume so they can talk. "I was sitting outside, there on the porch and he just showed up… he was scared as fuck, and well, I let him in"

Hanna nods and falls silent.

Caleb "How did he end up in the middle of the storm anyway? It's not like you seem a negligent owner who would let him outside, you are more likely to treat him like a baby" he says amused.

Hanna "Yeah, well, but it was my fault that he went missing" her voice is barely audible.

Caleb "I don't believe that"

Hanna "You weren't there. It was my fault"

Caleb "How's that?"

Hanna "I took him out for a walk knowing how bad he hates storms, it was before it started, but still, it was pretty obvious that the storm would break anytime and I still took him out"

Caleb "Oh, come on, it doesn't make you guilty of anything"

Hanna "Yeah, it does, because I took him out to get him tired… he had woken me up early that morning and I didn't want him to do the same the next morning… I was an idiot, my mom even told me not to take him out and I didn't listen to her. I just assumed we would make it back home before the storm started, but we didn't and I couldn't control him when he got frightened"

Caleb "I still don't believe it was your fault, you just took him for a walk, it was an accident, those things happen"

Hanna "Yeah, you say it because now we know what happened, he was safe and sound with you, but I thought I would never see him again… I've felt so guilty this last year… Not knowing where he was, I even got to think he was dead sometimes… I would have given anything just to be woken up by him one more time" her voice cracks and her eyes become glassy.

Caleb reaches out and takes her hand "Hey! It wasn't your fault, and it wouldn't have been your fault if something had happened to him either… everything happens for a reason…" he says while rubbing her palm with his thumb "I told you I was sorry for taking your dog with me, out the town, but the truth is that I am not fully sorry, I mean, I am sorry, but I'm glad he came into my life, he found me in the right moment and I loved having him for a year, I was having a hard time and he made it so much easier for me to go through a lot of shit… anyway, I'm glad I had him for a year, even if saying goodbye to him hurts so much now, I still think it was worth it and I wouldn't change anything… well, I wish I hadn't caused so much pain to you by taking him for a year, that's the only part for which I feel sorry about…"

Hanna stares at him the whole time, she's silent and her eyes are still glassy.

Caleb "So, if it is someone's fault, it's mine, I should have stayed here and look for you… I just didn't have the strength… but still, I'm glad I had a year with him, I love him, he was my dog, so… I'm just sorry for causing you so much pain, it wasn't my intention…"

Hanna "Thank you for taking care of him and for loving him, I'm glad that he ended up with you… and you don't have to say goodbye to him… I mean, I'm still taking him to New York with me, but I'll keep my promise, you are seeing him every day until we leave and you can also come to New York to visit him whenever you want, and I will let you know every time we come back here to Rosewood to visit my mom"

Caleb nods. Of course it won't be the same than having his dog with him every day as he is used to, but again, Chocolate is not his dog and he has to be grateful that Hanna will allow him to see him every so often.

Hanna "I'm sorry, that's all I can do…"

Caleb "I know, it's okay, he's your dog" he forces a smile.

Hanna "I feel so bad every time I talk about taking him to New York when I'm with you…" she says, being really honest.

Caleb "Just as bad as I feel every time I hear how bad was your year without him, I feel like a selfish jerk"

Hanna takes her hand off his and sits up straight. "Well, let's make a pact then… none of us can feel guilty again for these things from the past that we can't change… well, me taking Chocolate to New York is not necessarily the past, but still, I've already moved there a few months ago and-"

Caleb smiles slightly. "It's fine, I got the point"

Hanna smiles slightly too. "Well, so none of us can feel guilty again for shit from the past. Let's move on, let's stop worrying about what we say, the way we say it, about our choice of words while talking about Chocolate and what happened a year ago. I'm done with the awkwardness between us when we talk about these things. I know you didn't do it on purpose, and I'm sorry for calling you names and all. I no longer want to get mad at you because of this. Anyway, you know I'm taking him with me, but you also need to know that I'm aware of the fact that you love him, and that he loves you too, I got to see that the other day when you showed up at my door with his stuff… he didn't stop looking for you when you left, and I… I went looking for you"

Caleb "You did?" he asks surprised.

Hanna nods. "Yeah, but this dog sucks at tracking people down or orienting himself in the town, so we went back home after a while and it was a coincidence when I found you later"

Caleb smiles.

Hanna "Anyway, going back to my point, let's get over all these, let's just start over and… be friends? I had a great time today with you, and yesterday too, and we will keep seeing each other because of Chocolate, so…"

Caleb "I think it's a great idea" he grins.

Hanna smiles back.

Caleb turns his gaze to his laptop. "Seems like it ran out of battery" he says, seeing that it's off.

Hanna chuckles. "I'm sorry that I interrupted your movie… I just-"

Caleb chuckles too. "It's fine, it wasn't that good, was it?"

Hanna wrinkles her nose. "not really"

Caleb "Want some coffee?" he asks while standing up from the mattress.

Hanna "Yeah... do you have coffee, though? Or I will end up having another glass of water?" she teases him.

Caleb laughs. "Yeah. I'll be right back"

But when Caleb comes back a few minutes later, he finds Hanna fast asleep. She is still half sitting, but her torso is leaning to the side, on Chocolate's back who is lying down next to her, her cheek smashed against the dog's fur and her arm wrapped around him.

Caleb smiles and goes sit down next to Chocolate. "You are the luckiest guy in the entire freaking world right in this moment, you know?" he whispers to him amused.

Chocolate only looks at him and then closes his eyes again, enjoying cuddling with Hanna, something that he surely missed too during that year away from her.

Caleb takes a blanket and pulls it over Hanna. Then he drinks his coffee in silence, leaving Hanna's cup aside. He can't help but stare at her as she sleeps. What could happen if she hadn't that ring on her finger crosses his mind several times, but he pushes those thoughts away.

* * *

Well... I'm sure you already want to know what happens next, but you will have to wait until next week :) haha. Thank you for your reviews guys! You are so nice! I'm glad you like the story even if there's only friendship for now... I just don't want to rush anything, I like writing about them getting close. Let me know what you think about this chapter. xx


	7. Chapter 7

Hanna wakes up feeling a soft caress on her cheek.

Caleb "Han" he says softly when she opens her eyes.

Hanna sits up straight, rubbing her eyes.

Caleb "You fell asleep" he smiles at her.

Hanna "How long? What time is it?"

Caleb chuckles. "Just for a few minutes… I'm taking you home, ok?"

Hanna nods and grabs her phone. She doesn't have a single missed called or a text from Jordan. She puts it into her purse and stands up from the mattress.

Caleb takes his empty cup and Hanna's full cup of coffee and stands up as well. "Do you still want this? I can heat it up for you if you want"

Hanna shakes her head no, she's quiet after her short nap and Caleb can't help thinking how cute she looks with the flushed cheeks of her sleepy face.

Caleb "Ok, I'll be right back" he goes into the kitchen.

Chocolate finally stands up as well when he sees that Hanna heads for the front door, he goes with her.

When Caleb comes out from the kitchen, he picks up Chocolate's red ball from the floor, the one he has been playing with that afternoon, and he hands it to Hanna, but instead of taking it, she takes his hand in her hands and smiles slightly. "Keep it… he'll need something to play with when he comes over"

Caleb smiles back and can't help thinking that that night wouldn't end with him just taking Hanna home if it weren't for the fact that she is already taken by another man.

/

Next day.

Hanna gets home after having lunch with her mom and flops down on the couch with Chocolate, of course. She's changing channels when her phone buzzes, so she drops the remote and takes her phone. It's a text from Emily "Hey, Han, we are getting together at the Brew in like an hour, are you in?"

Hanna "Sure, I'll be there" she texts back and right away, Emily replies to her "Great. I said in an hour, not two or three, so if you are late, you won't find anyone except for Ezra in there"

Hanna rolls her eyes and texts her friend back "Fuck you, I'll be the first to arrive"

After sending that last text, she calls Caleb.

Caleb "Hey, Han" he answers the call after a few seconds.

Hanna "Hey, how are you doing?"

Caleb "I'm good… trying to fix a shitty water connection but I'll definitely need to call a plumber"

Hanna laughs. "Thought Toby was going to help you"

Caleb "Yeah, but Spencer wasn't feeling so well, so he went back home"

Hanna "Oh… I'll give her a call later…"

Caleb "What about you? What are you up to?"

Hanna "I'm getting together with the guys at the Brew in like an hour, that's why I'm calling, wanna come?"

Caleb "What's the Brew?"

Hanna "Oh, sorry, I forgot… It's Ezra's coffee shop"

Caleb "Ok, I'm coming… I won't be able to fix this shit anyway, so I'm in… where's this place?"

Hanna "I'll pick you up in half an hour"

Caleb "Thought you said in an hour"

Hanna "Yeah, well, but I told Emily I would be there before anyone else, she's messing with me because I'm always late"

Caleb chuckles. "Okay, then"

Hanna "Fine. See you, bye"

Caleb "See you"

/

Hanna and Caleb get to the Brew, but more than half an hour later than they should.

Hanna "Please, play along" she whispers to him as they walk toward the table where her friends are sitting.

Caleb "What?" he whispers back, but they are already standing before the guys.

Hanna "Hey guys!" she smiles at her friends.

Caleb "Hey" he greets them as well.

Emily "What happened with I'll be the first to arrive?"

Hanna "It was Caleb's fault, he wasn't ready when I went pick him up" she just says as she and Caleb have seats at the table as well.

Caleb gets now what she meant before. "That's not true, you made me wait like an idiot for more than half an hour before you showed up"

Hanna "Hey!" she looks at him and raises her eyebrows. "You were supposed to be on my side" she adds amused.

Caleb "Well, pick me up on time next time"

Emily laughs.

Aria "That just will never happen, Caleb" she says amused.

Emily "Yeah, if you want to be friends with Hanna, just set your clock an hour or two back…"

Hanna "Very funny" she rolls her eyes.

Ezra "I'll go get you two some coffee" he says, since he, Emily, and Aria have already finished their coffees.

Hanna "Have any of you guys talked to Spence today? Caleb says she wasn't feeling well" she gets serious now.

Aria "I talked to her, she was just feeling sick"

They spend an hour at the Brew before Emily leaves, Ezra gets back to work and Aria goes upstairs to the apartment that she shares with Ezra, so Hanna and Caleb decide to take off as well.

Hanna "I was thinking of going to the mall to get a present for Spencer's and Toby's baby and then go see them, if Spencer feels well enough of course… wanna come with me? Or you would rather me to take you back at your house?" she asks once they are in her car.

Caleb "Well, I think I could get a present for the baby as well, Toby has been helping me a lot lately, and Spencer has been so nice to me, I wanna thank them somehow, and I'm not so good at picking presents, much less with baby stuff, so I could really use your help" he smiles at her.

Hanna "Perfect, we are going shopping" she says happily and starts the car. "I wish I could know the gender so I can make a better choice"

Caleb chuckles "Well, you still have plenty of time to buy presents for the baby"

/

Hanna and Caleb go get some presents. They have a blast in the baby store when the saleswoman sees the engagement ring on Hanna's finger and assumes that Hanna is the pregnant one and Caleb is the father. He can't help but telling the woman that they are expecting triplets, Hanna holds back her laugh and plays along, following him, but she can't help bursting out laughing seeing the horrified face that the woman makes when Caleb says that they won't need to worry about getting a nanny because their seven-year-old twins, that they had when they were only eighteen, can take care of the babies when they are out at work. And the fun continues when they are paying for the presents and the woman gives them a parenting classes flier but Caleb rejects it by saying they don't need any parenting classes since they have done it pretty well keeping the twins alive so far.

Hanna "You are such an idiot, that was the best baby store in Rosewood and now I won't be able to come back anymore" she says while laughing as soon as they head out.

Caleb laughs too. "Why not? She won't even remember you, she stared at me the whole time. That's what I get for being so hot" he jokes.

Hanna laughs harder. "Yeah, sure… she was just wondering how the fuck you got me pregnant with twins and then again with triplets" she adds amused.

Caleb "She maybe think I make super sperm or something like that"

Hanna laughs even more harder, if that's even possible. "Caleb!" she yells between laughing.

Caleb joins her laughing. "She must be praying that you won't get pregnant again and that they aren't four babies next time"

Hanna "Shit, my tummy hurts for so much laughing again, I should stop hanging out with you"

Caleb "Stop inviting me to come with you wherever you go, then. I just wanted to spend some time with Chocolate, not you" he jokes, but Hanna's amusement fades.

Hanna "I'm sorry, I told you I would let you see him every day, but I dragged you to the mall instead"

Caleb "Hey, you didn't drag me here, I wanted to come with you, remember? besides, we can go pick Chocolate up at your place after visiting Toby and Spencer, and if it's late then I can see him tomorrow, it's okay, I like hanging out with you, I was just joking" he gives her a smile in order to reassure her.

Hanna smiles back, shyly. "Okay" she only says.

/

They go to Spencer's and Toby's house after giving Toby a call to check if Spencer was feeling well enough for them to come over. Spencer is feeling much better so they end up staying there for dinner instead of for a short time. She loves the presents that Hanna and Caleb got for her unborn baby and she also gets a little emotional seeing how tiny the clothes are. By the time they leave, it's almost midnight, and Caleb walks Hanna to her car.

Caleb "Well, see you tomorrow then" he smiles at her. "Let me know when you get home"

Hanna smiles back and nods but her smile suddenly disappears when she looks past Caleb. "Caleb, there's water coming out from your house" she says alarmed.

Caleb "What?" he says while turning around and he gets to see as well the water coming out under his front door. "Shit!"

They rush to the house and when Caleb opens the front door, a lot of water flows out, wetting their feet and their legs up to their knees before they have the chance to move away.

Caleb "Oh, god, I'm so sorry, Han" he says to her when he sees that her shoes and jeans are soaked.

Hanna "It's okay, don't worry, let's go in and see what's going on"

Caleb nods and they go inside. Now that the front door is open and most of the water got out, the flood is not so bad, but all the floors are wet and so are the walls.

Caleb "It must be coming from the water pipe I was trying to fix this morning" he says while going into the kitchen.

Hanna follows him. "You should have called a plumber in the first place"

Caleb "It's seems so" he says while taking a look at the tube.

Hanna "It's kind of late to call someone right now, can you do something to stop it?"

Caleb "I'm closing the water supply, that should stop the water for now"

Hanna "Can I help you somehow?"

Caleb "Go home, Han, it's late"

Hanna "Please, I'm not leaving you on your own with this mess, besides, I have nothing important to do tomorrow anyway… do you have something to dry the floor?"

Caleb "Really, you don't have to stay, go home, look at yourself, you are wet"

Hanna "I'm helping you no matter what you say, so just tell me what I can use to dry the floor"

After Caleb stops the water from keeping emerging from the pipe, he joins Hanna drying the floor. They do it in every room that the water has reached until only the living room is left.

Hanna "You are gonna have to get a new bed… well, mattress" she says while taking the sheets and blankets from the mattress that he has been using as his momentary "bed". Everything is soaked with water.

Caleb goes and picks up the mattress, placing it against the wall "Yeah, I was gonna buy a bed once I finished with the bedrooms, but I guess I'll have to get one sooner"

Hanna "Do you have a plastic bag or something like that for all this?" she asks, still holding the sheets in her hands.

Caleb "I think I should hang them somewhere"

Hanna "No, I'm taking this to my house and I'm doing the laundry… and you are coming with me as well, you can't stay here"

Caleb "You don't have to do this" he takes the sheets from her hands. "And I'm going to a motel or something like that"

Hanna "What? No! There's no way, you are coming with me, we have a guest room where you can stay in"

Caleb "I'm not staying the night in your place"

Hanna "Why not?"

Caleb "Because I can go to a motel, it's no big deal, besides, it's not just you, your mom will be there, I don't want to bother"

Hanna "Please, my mom will be okay with you staying in the guest room, that is what it is for, and you saved her yesterday, she will be happy to return the favor… and Chocolate will be happy too" she smiles at him. "Please?"

/

Hanna "Well, make yourself at home" she says once she opens the guest room's door for Caleb. "I'll go get this into the washing machine" she says, holding a bag with Caleb's wet sheets.

Caleb gets into the room, carrying his bag, followed by a very excited Chocolate. "I can't believe you convinced me"

Hanna chuckles. "There's no way I would let you go to a motel… besides, you were worried about my mom and she is not even here, she must be at Ted's"

Caleb "Who's Ted?"

Hanna "The man she's dating. I won't go to sleep yet, so let me know if you need anything" she says and leaves the room.

/

Hanna is sitting on the edge of her bed, her phone in her hands. She has changed into a pink sweatshorts, very short, by the way, and a tank top that barely covers her flat tummy since her jeans and shoes were still wet from the flood at Caleb's house. The door of her bedroom is slightly open.

Caleb "Han?" she hears him call for her from the door.

Hanna "Come in"

Caleb "Would you mind if I take a shower?" he asks when he steps into the room.

Hanna "Of course not" she stands up from her bed. "Come on, I'll give you some towels"

Caleb chuckles. "Only one will be fine"

He can't help checking out her butt when she walks past him on her way out of the bedroom, but he quickly looks away trying not to let any unwanted thought come to his mind.

/

Hanna gets back in her bedroom and sits back on the bed. She checks the time, it's past two in the morning, she knows that Jordan must be sleeping, but she hasn't talked to him since the day before in the morning, it's been practically two days without speaking, so she decides to call him despite the time.

Jordan "Hanna, you okay?" he asks, sleepy.

Hanna "Hey! Yeah, I'm okay, sorry, I know it's really late, but you won't answer your phone if I call you tomorrow during the day"

Jordan "What do you need?"

Hanna "Nothing… just talk… it's been two days…"

Jordan "Oh, yes… I've been busy"

Hanna "Have you thought about coming here for a weekend?"

Jordan "Han, it's freaking two in the morning, I can't have this conversation right now"

Hanna "So, I guess that's a no, because you would tell me otherwise"

Jordan sighs. "I won't be able to go there this weekend, or the following one. But let me see if I can go in another moment"

Hanna "What do you mean by in another moment?"

Jordan "I don't know Hanna, just in another moment"

Hanna "You don't give a fuck, do you?" she says annoyed.

Jordan "I do, Han, I'll go" he says calm. "I just don't know when"

Hanna "Don't you miss me?"

Jordan "Of course I do, but I can't leave…"

Hanna remains silent, so Jordan speaks again.

Jordan "Do you?"

Hanna "Why do you think I'm calling you at 2 in the morning?"

Jordan "Then come here"

Hanna "We already discussed that, I can't go there either"

Jordan "What do you want, then?"

Hanna "I don't know, we can't keep going this way, Jordan. When you asked me to move with you to New York you promised me you would help me to find a job in fashion, you promised me you would try to travel a little less so you could spend more time with me, but instead of that you kept traveling, even more than before and I ended up going with you wherever you went… I couldn't even look for a job in New York because we were never there… then you promised me again that we would stop going here and there and asked me to marry you, and I believed you again" she's at the verge of tears now "and here I am now… we had to postpone the wedding and you are not even here with me… I gave up so many things for you, Jordan… for accompanying you everywhere… and now you can't even make some time to spend with me here in Rosewood? I asked you a couple days, a weekend, whatever… not to mention that you aren't willing to give up your apartment to move in to another place where we could have my dog with us, you know how much I love him and you don't care, you still put your freaking modern apartment before me… I don't even feel it like my home" Hanna stops talking now, not because she doesn't have more things to say to him, but because she bursts into tears.

Jordan "Han, please, let's talk about this tomorrow… it's not such a big deal, I think you are tired, and emotional and you are making this bigger… I'm here just to help my father, but things will get better when we get back in New York and-"

Hanna cuts him off. "I won't talk about this over the phone again, I'm willing to fight for us but you have to do your part too, so, if you really care about us, then come here and show me that. You don't even answer my calls, I'm done being sent to your voicemail… I need you here"

Jordan "Han…"

Hanna "Bye, Jordan, go back to sleep" she says and ends the call.

/

Caleb gets out of the shower and goes back to the guest room. Chocolate is there waiting for him, he's lying on the bed.

Caleb smiles, he is happy to be able to be that close to the dog again. "Ready for bed, buddy?" he tells him while grabbing his underwear and a pair of sweatpants from his bag. He unwraps the towel from his waist and puts the clothes on before turning the lights off and getting in the bed.

Caleb is half asleep when the door opens and the lights from the hallway illuminate the room, he opens his eyes and he can see that it's Hanna.

Caleb "Han, what's up?"

Hanna "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, I just… I came for Chocolate, I need him, I can't sleep" she says, trying to sound calm, but her sobs betray her.

Caleb "You okay?" he asks while sitting up on the bed.

Hanna shakes her head no while approaching the bed. "Chocolate" she says and strokes the sound-asleep dog's head that is lying in the middle of the bed. But he doesn't move, so she sits on the edge of the bed as her tears keep rolling down.

Caleb "Wanna talk?"

Hanna just shakes her head again.

Caleb reaches out and takes one of her arms, he pulls her into a hug without thinking twice and surprisingly for him, she hugs him back and rests her head on his shoulder. They remain like that for minutes until Hanna raises her head and looks at him, keeping her arms around him.

Hanna "Thank you"

Caleb chuckles and presses a kiss on her wet cheek "For what? I'm at your house, with your dog, and my sheets in your washing machine"

Hanna smiles slightly. "For the hug" she says shyly and rests her head back on his shoulder.

Caleb "What happened?" he asks as he starts to stroke her back with his fingertips.

Hanna "I had a fight with Jordan"

Caleb "Oh…" he only says and stops stroking her back.

Hanna pulls away from the hug and stands up from the bed. "I'm sorry, I'll let you go to sleep"

Caleb "Hey, it's okay… stay" he says as Hanna walks toward the door.

Hanna turns around and looks at him.

Caleb "I mean… you said you couldn't sleep and you wanted to be with Chocolate, the bed is quite large, go lie down at the other side of him, it's okay"

Hanna "You don't mind?"

Caleb chuckles. "Of course not, Han"

Hanna smiles slightly and goes to the other side of the bed "Thank you" she says as she gets under the covers. Then she wraps her arm around the dog and rests her head on his back "People sometimes say that he's too big… I think he is perfect to cuddle up with… he's my teddy bear"

Caleb smiles at her. He can't help wishing he was that dog. "I used to call him that sometimes… not teddy bear, but bear"

Hanna "Really? And what did you name him?"

Caleb "I never named him anything… I used to call him different things… buddy mostly… I knew he already had a name, so I felt like it wasn't fair to rename him, even if I would never get to know his actual name… and well, then I heard you calling him Chocolate"

Hanna smiles. "Yeah… I named him that because he's brown and sweet and I love eating chocolate almost as much as I love him"

Caleb smiles back.

They remain silent, trying to go to sleep, but after a few minutes, Caleb speaks again.

Caleb "Han…"

Hanna "Uh huh?"

Caleb "The other night… the guy yelling at you through the phone… was Jordan?"

Hanna "What? No, of course not… I wouldn't be with someone who treated me like that… it was George… he's a friend of Jordan, and his father's campaign manager. He's a jerk"

Caleb "Yeah, I see…"

Hanna "Jordan and I aren't doing so well lately, but he would never talk to me like that"

Caleb "No one should talk to you like that" he moves a strand of her hair off her face.

Hanna "I don't give a shit about George, it's okay. I didn't even tell Jordan"

Caleb "Well, if a friend of mine treated my girl like that, I would like to know so I could beat their ass"

Hanna smiles. "Do you have a girl?"

Caleb "No"

Hanna "Why?"

Caleb "Because I don't"

Hanna "I don't believe you, I will have to ask Chocolate. I'm sure you have someone back in Allentown"

Caleb "Why are you so sure?"

Hanna "Because you are cute, and kind… and fun…"

Caleb chuckles. "Thanks, but… what does it have to do with having someone? I'm not so good at love, at relationships"

Hanna "And how's that?"

Caleb shrugs. "I'm just not good at it"

Hanna "Maybe you just didn't find the right person yet…"

Caleb "Maybe"

Hanna "Anyway, love is not always perfect…"

Caleb "That doesn't sound like something a person who is about to get married would say"

Hanna doesn't answer.

Caleb "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Hanna cuts him off. "It's okay, you didn't say anything wrong… I… I always wanted to have with someone what Spencer has with Toby, what Aria has with Ezra, and what Emily has with Ali, what they have is the closest to perfection I've ever seen… and I think I can have that with Jordan… we just need to sort some things out before getting married, that's all"

Caleb only nods.

Hanna "I don't know if you are good at love or not, but at least you are good at comforting people" she gives him a smile.

Caleb "I've never comforted anyone before, so I guess I'm only good at comforting you for now"

Hanna chuckles and takes his hand. "And you are good at making me laugh too"

Caleb "I'm glad to hear that" he strokes her hand with his thumb.

Hanna "Good night, Caleb"

Caleb "Good night, beautiful"

Hanna doesn't know why, but that "beautiful" coming from Caleb's mouth sends waves of electricity through her entire body.

* * *

Heeey :) well, that was a long chapter, I hope you liked it. As always, thank you for your kind reviews! Janethewriter1, this chapter was already written when you left me your review, but I added that little part of the conversation where they talk about the dog's name when I read it. In another review, someone asked for Caleb saving Hanna from something, I can't fit that idea right now, but I'll keep it in mind and see if I can do something with it later. Keep letting me know what you want... I'm blocked right now and I haven't written anything for more than a week now, fortunately I still have a couple chapters written, but I'm kind of lost at the moment :/

Anyway, have a nice week haleb lovers! xx


	8. Chapter 8

The morning after, Caleb wakes up and finds Hanna still asleep, cuddling with Chocolate, of course.

He takes a moment and watches her. She is still hugging Chocolate, lying on her stomach and her face buried in between the dog's neck and the mattress. She has kicked the sheets off during the night so her body is uncovered. Her long legs sprawled and her sweatshorts barely covering her rounded ass. Caleb can't believe how it is possible that she can look so hot yet so cute at the same time. He has to force himself off the bed.

He takes some clothes from his bag and sneaks out of the bedroom, being careful enough not to wake them up, and after getting dressed in the bathroom, he goes buy something for breakfast in order to thank Hanna for letting him stay the night in her house.

When he gets back, Hanna is already in the kitchen, and about to make her breakfast.

Caleb "Hey!"

Hanna turns around. "Hey! Do you always sneak out like that after spending the night with a girl?" she jokes.

Caleb laughs "I usually don't even stay all night long with anyone, and much less, go out to get them something for breakfast" he says, placing two takeaway coffee cups on the kitchen island and a box of donuts, then he has seat.

Hanna "Hey, you didn't have to"

Caleb "Yes, I did, you saved me last night" he smiles.

Hanna smiles back and goes put the milk that she was about to use to make her breakfast back in the fridge. Then she goes sit next to him at the kitchen island and grabs a donut.

Hanna "Toby called me. Spencer isn't feeling so good and he doesn't want to leave her alone, but he has to go work, so I'm coming over to stay with her while he's gone. You can stay here as long as you need. Don't worry about my mom, she went right to the Ridley from Ted's and she's not coming back till the evening, I'll talk to her when she gets home and let her know that you are staying here" she says and takes a bite of her donut.

Caleb "Thank you, Han. But I'm not staying here anymore. I'm really grateful to you but one thing is staying one night and another thing would be if I stayed longer. I can't"

Hanna "Why not? You will be able to be with Chocolate… and I promise I won't get in your bed again… I won't disturb your sleep again"

Caleb laughs and although many jokes and some other dirty things to answer to that come to his mind, he just pushes them back and goes for a serious response instead. "You didn't disturb me at all. And don't worry, I'll figure something out, I'll just find a motel for tonight and I think I can go back home tomorrow, it can't take so long, I already called a plumber and he's coming in a couple hours"

Hanna "Okay, but let me know anything"

Caleb nods and takes a sip of coffee. "Are you better, though?"

Hanna "Yes" she simply answers.

Caleb "You seemed pretty upset last night…"

Hanna "I'm okay" she says and drinks some coffee too.

Caleb remains silent. He doesn't keep asking because he knows because of her short answers that Hanna doesn't want to talk about that subject and he is no one to give love advice to anyone since all his relationships have failed badly and also considering that the only reason why he hasn't made a move on Hanna is because she is about to marry someone. Although, having her in his bed last night almost makes him fall into temptation.

Hanna "You can take Chocolate with you if you want, I won't be here anyway, so it's the same"

Caleb "Really?"

Hanna nods. "Yeah, but you have to take him back here in the evening because there's no way I'm sleeping without him… and if your house gets flooded again and he gets wet, you will have to wash him"

Caleb chuckles. "Deal"

/

That evening. Caleb parks his car at Hanna's and goes ring the doorbell, followed by Chocolate. But it's Ashley who answers the door instead of Hanna.

Ashley "Hey, Caleb!" she greets him with a smile.

Caleb "Hi, Mrs. Marin. Is Hanna here?"

Chocolate gets into the house, making Ashley move to the side.

Ashley "She's out with Aria, but she texted me she would be here soon. Please, come on in"

Caleb "No, it's okay. I just came to drop Chocolate off… and we know what "soon" means coming from Hanna" he says, knowing about Hanna's unpunctuality now.

Ashley smiles amused. "She will be here soon this time, I'm sure. Besides she let me know that you would stay for dinner"

Caleb "What?" he asks confused.

Ashley "I don't get it, didn't she invite you? I thought you guys had agreed on that" she says confused as well.

Caleb shakes his head no.

Ashley "Well…" she says awkwardly and making a mental note to kill Hanna later. "Do you have plans? I already started cooking dinner, and Hanna…" she looks past Caleb and sees Hanna's car pulling on the driveway "There she is"

Caleb turns around and they see Hanna get out of the car and approach them, carrying some shopping bags.

Hanna "Hey" she says, smiley, and places a kiss on Caleb's cheek when she passes by his side on her way into the house where she throws the bags on the floor and yells: "Hey! Where's my baby?" calling for Chocolate who shows up just in seconds to greet her.

Ashley "Didn't you forget about something?"

Hanna "Oh, hi, mom" she smiles at her mom while stroking the dog who is still greeting her.

Ashley "No, I mean, Caleb didn't even know that he was supposed to have dinner with us"

Hanna chuckles. "I didn't forget anything, I just thought I would make it back here before he came, I was gonna tell him to stay then" she approaches Caleb. "Why are you still standing there?" she takes his hand "Come in" she says while pulling from his hand.

Caleb "What if I had already made plans?" he says while going into the house.

Ashley closes the front door.

Hanna "Please, your house is empty and wet after the flood, your fridge has nothing inside and you don't know anyone else in this town except for Toby and Spencer who are in their own cheesy bubble with all this thing about the baby, of course you don't have anything else to do" she lets go of his hand to pick her shopping bags up from the floor.

Ashley "Did your house get flooded, Caleb?"

Caleb "Yeah, last night… it wasn't big deal though, it was empty anyway, because I'm making renovations in the entire house, so it wasn't so bad… a plumber fixed all the water connections today and I already got in contact with a contractor, they are replacing all the floors so I have to go buy all the materials tomorrow morning"

Hanna "So, you won't be able to go back home for some days, will you?"

Caleb shakes his head no.

Hanna "Well, you are staying here then"

Caleb "No. I'm getting a motel room"

Hanna "Of course not" She turns her gaze from Caleb to Ashley. "Mom, would you please tell him to stay?"

Caleb "I'm staying just for dinner, Han. They are too many days to stay here, I'll get a room somewhere. You can recommend me a place if you want to help and-"

Ashley cuts him off. "You are staying at the Radley, Caleb. I owe you one, after all. You really saved us the other day"

Caleb "No, it was just a little favor, it's okay, you don't have to-"

Ashley interrupts him once again. "Please, let me return you the favor then, I just have to make a phone call and that's all. I won't take no for an answer"

Caleb gives up, he just realized that he will never be able to win a discussion with Hanna and her mom on the same side. "Okay, thank you"

/

Ashley gets Caleb a room at the Radley Hotel after a very short call, so after dinner, Hanna offers to accompany him in order to talk to the person with whom Ashley talked on the phone and make it easier for him. They go to the Radley in separate cars, so Hanna can get back home later.

When they get to the Radley, Hanna talks to the man at the front desk and then with another man who leads them to Caleb's room. After the man opens the door for them and they step in, Caleb takes a look around and finds out that that's a really luxurious room and much larger than he expected.

The man hands Hanna the key to the room and leaves.

Caleb "I can't take this, Han… this is too much"

Hanna "Oh, please, this is nothing compared to what you did for them the other day, you have no idea how much money they would have lost if you hadn't fixed their security system. Just chill out and enjoy" she gives him a smile. Then she places the key card to the room on the coffee table. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow"

Caleb "Wait, let me invite you a drink at least"

Hanna hesitates for a moment.

Caleb "Come on, you don't have to get up early tomorrow, unlike all of your friends that have to go work. Your dog must be asleep by now and your boyfriend is not even in the town, you have nothing better to do" he tries to convince her just in the same way she did to him before, when she made him stay for dinner at her house.

Hanna chuckles. "You are an idiot. I was gonna say yes anyway"

Caleb "And that's how I get my daily insult from you" he smiles amused and grabs the key card from the coffee table. "Let's go"

/

Hanna and Caleb are at the lounge of the hotel, sitting on a couch. One drink turned into some more drinks and they have been talking about nothing and everything for like two hours now, and laughing a lot too.

Hanna "So, tell me, where are you really from? You always say that you are from many places, but there must be at least one place that you feel like your home… where do the rest of your family live?" she asks, trying to know a little more about her new friend, with whom she feels like they have been friends since forever sometimes, but then she remembers that although she feels really comfortable around him, there are a lot of basic things that she doesn't even know about his life.

Caleb "It's complicated…"

Hanna "Well, we have all night long, you said it yourself, I don't have anything to do tomorrow" she smiles.

Caleb smiles back, but it is a slight smile. "Well… first of all… I have no other family, well, I have no family at all" he starts telling.

Hanna sits up straight. She wasn't expecting such an answer.

Caleb "My mom gave me in adoption when I was born, so I never met her. A woman adopted me shortly after that, but she died when I was only four years old, so I really don't remember much about her, although I have some pictures. After that, I spent the rest of my life in foster care, going here and there, from one foster home to another until I was sixteen and I was able to save some money that I earned by fixing cell phones or computers and that way I rented my own place to stay, it was a really tiny studio apartment, and the building was practically a dump, but it was mine, it was my place"

Hanna takes his hand. "Shit, Caleb, I'm so sorry. You don't have to tell me this, I'm sorry that I pushed you, I-"

Caleb "Hey, it's okay" he squeezes her hand. "I wouldn't tell you this if I didn't want to"

Hanna nods and remains silent, waiting for him to go on with his story.

Caleb "Well, so that's basically why I say that I am from many places… I guess I never found somewhere to call my home… but I'm okay" he shrugs.

Hanna "What about your grandpa?"

Caleb "He didn't even know about me until my biological mother got sick and told him about me before she died… sounds like a shitty tv drama, doesn't it? But that's the truth. Anyway, my grandma, who knew about me too, had passed away some years before, so my grandpa was alone and decided to look for me. He hired a private investigator to find me, and that was three years ago"

Hanna's eyes are watery now, but Caleb is calm and just telling her his story, so she keeps asking. "So you could only spend a couple of years with him" she says, considering that it's been a year since the man passed away.

Caleb shakes his head no. "I took a few months after the investigator contacted me before I decided to give my grandpa a chance and meet him… he had nothing to do with what happened to me after all. He was really happy to have found me, and he was so… kind, so nice to me, like those grandfathers that you see in the movies. He felt sorry about how things had turned out for me, he didn't stop telling me that if he had known about me, things wouldn't have been the way they were… so I never told him how shitty my childhood actually was, I didn't have the guts to tell him the truth, so I made up a story instead… I told him that a good family had adopted me and that they lived across the country, thinking that that way he wouldn't want to go all the way there to meet them, but of course it didn't work… I got so entangled in my own fake story that every time I came visit him, I ended up making up a new story to tell him… Do you see this scar on my forehead?" he asks Hanna while pointing at it and she nods. "Well, I told him I had gotten it one Christmas morning when I fell down the stairs because I was too much excited and was in a rush to go open my presents… the truth is that I got into a fight with the biological child of one of my crappy foster families after he called me a dirty piece of shit when I accidentally broke the wheel of one of his toy cars". Then he lifts up the short sleeve of his t-shirt, uncovering another scar on his shoulder "And this one here, I told my grandpa that I got it one time when I fell off my bike as a child… truth is that I've never had a bike, I just got it one night when I was fourteen and I was sleeping on a bench at the bus station and a drunk man smashed his bottle against the wall right next to me and a piece of glass cut me. Anyway, I made up so many stories that he started to ask me to introduce him this amazing family who adopted me, so, I started to come to visit him less frequently, besides, I was living in London back then and I was doing really well at work, so I didn't see him so much… and when I finally decided that I didn't want to lose any more time by avoiding him and that I would tell him the truth, the whole truth, I found out that he had passed away"

He finishes his story and swallows the lump in his throat, refusing to get emotional but when he looks at Hanna, she's a mess of tears.

Caleb "Hey, don't cry" he reaches out and grabs her arm, pulling her closer to him. "It's okay"

Hanna "It's not okay" she says between sobs and pulls him into a hug. Thinking about a four-years-old little Caleb being put in foster care just breaks her heart, even more considering that his biological mother had given him in adoption right after he was born. And when he finally found a person who cared about him, his grandfather, he lost him again. And that's when Chocolate comes up to her mind. Getting her dog back with her also means that Caleb loses someone he loves again and that breaks her heart harder.

Caleb "Han… please, don't cry. I didn't mean to get you so sad" he says into her hair, hugging her tighter. "Shit, I've never told anyone, and I shouldn't have told you either. I'm sorry"

Hanna "You never told anyone?" she pulls just a little away to look at him, but she stays in the embrace.

Caleb shakes his head no and takes one of his hands to her face to cup one of her cheeks and he wipes some of her tears off of her face.

Hanna "Thank you for telling me, really… but, why me, though?"

Caleb "Because you asked me, and you are my friend"

Hanna "Yeah, but you have other friends… like the one you mentioned the other day"

Caleb "No… I've always called my friends people who I hang out with although they were not real friends to me"

Hanna "And I am a real friend to you?" she smiles slightly although her tears keep rolling down on her cheeks.

Caleb "I've only known you for some days, but no one in my entire life has done so many things for me like you did these last days"

Hanna buries her face into the crook of his neck and remains there as she calms down.

Caleb "Thank god I'm good at comforting you, huh?" he says, trying to lighten up the situation and he feels Hanna smile against his skin.

Hanna stays silent while Caleb strokes her hair. And they remain like that for minutes until Hanna finally raises her head up and wipes her tears away. She's much calmer.

Caleb "How's it possible that you cry your eyes out and you still look just as beautiful as always?" he says without thinking twice, but he is relieved when he sees that he just caused her to smile again, which he loves.

Hanna "I think I need another drink" she lets go of him and sits up straight.

They order another round of drinks and keep chatting.

Caleb "Now you tell me something about you"

Hanna "What do you want to know?"

Caleb shrugs. "Whatever you feel like telling me"

Hanna "My life is boring… I've got a degree in fashion design but I don't have a job at the moment… You already know that I'm from here… My parents are divorced, but I think it's better that way and my mom is happy with Ted, so I'm happy for her… and… I don't know… I feel like I'm in pause right now, you know? My life is in pause, like I'm waiting for things to settle…"

Caleb "How's that?"

Hanna "Nothing, never mind"

The waiter brings them their drinks so Caleb takes his glass and makes himself comfortable on the backrest of the couch. Hanna grabs her glass as well but she leans on Caleb's side.

Caleb smiles and wraps his free hand around her waist. "Thought we were friends, talk to me"

Hanna sighs. "Nothing, I'm in pause because I don't have a job because I can't get a job until I stay in one place and stop going here and there with Jordan, I have to find a new dog-friendly apartment to move in, but I have to wait for Jordan to do it together, because he is such a fussy pain in the ass when it comes to those things and even my wedding is in pause, and that's no longer only because of his father's freaking presidential candidacy but also because we are not okay and we can't get married this way… and I also wanted to be a young mother because I love babies but it seems like that's not possible anymore because I can't bring a child to this world until Jordan and I are in a good place… I guess I'll have to settle for babysitting Spencer's baby once in a while"

Caleb laughs. "You are only twenty-four, you have plenty of time for that"

Hanna "What are you planning to do with your life?"

Caleb "For now, I'll just finish with that damn house that is taking more work than I thought… and then… I really don't know"

Hanna "You will stay here" she gives him a smile.

Caleb "I don't know"

Hanna "Come on, I already gave you many reasons to stay… the guys, Chocolate, and my mom also offered you a job…"

Caleb "I'll think about it" he only says, although what he would really like to tell her it's that he doesn't need all those reasons that she gave him to stay, he only needs one. She. She would be a really good reason to stay in Rosewood.

Minutes pass by, and between drinks, their serious talk turns into a more hilarious, funny and non-sense talk.

Hanna "No! If I were a guy, I would never pee in a urinal. That's so disgusting, and you have no privacy" she says while laughing hard.

Caleb "Well, If I were a girl, I would never use a tampon" he fires back.

Hanna "Oh, please, yes, you would, they are life-savers"

Caleb "No, I wouldn't, ever"

Hanna "Shit, I think I'm drunk already" she says amused.

Caleb "What's the problem? You have nothing to do tomorrow"

Hanna "Yeah, you are right, let's go for another round" she says and waves her hand to the waiter.

The waiter takes their order but also lets them know that they will be the last drinks since they are closing the bar, so Caleb asks him to charge the drinks to his room bill, but when the guy asks him for his room number and Caleb says it to him, he lets Caleb know that everything is on the house and that no charges will be added to his bill.

When the waiter walks away, Caleb stares at Hanna.

Caleb "You knew, didn't you?"

Hanna laughs. "Of course I knew, did you think I was gonna let you pay for all the drinks?"

Caleb rolls his eyes but before he can say something, Hanna gets closer to him and places a soft kiss on his cheek, then she pulls away giggling.

Caleb "You surely are drunk" he says amused.

Hanna "Yeah…" she brings her hand before her face and waves her fingers while staring at them "I feel like a tickling sensation on my fingertips when I'm drunk"

Caleb laughs and grabs her hand in his.

Hanna smiles at him "Why aren't you drunk too, you had more drinks than me"

Caleb "I think I have a better resistance" he says. "But I'm a little drunk too" he confesses then, smiling back at her and starting to stroke the fingers of her hand that he is still holding.

At that moment, someone sits down on the couch next to theirs.

Sean "Hanna Marin" he says, bringing Hanna and Caleb's attention to him.

Hanna "Sean…" she says surprised and stares at him.

Sean "That would be me" he says half laughing and Caleb notices that he is drunk too.

Hanna "What are you doing here?"

Sean "Visiting my family…" he casually says.

Hanna "I mean, at the Radley…"

Sean "Oh, right" he chuckles. "My old room is now my mom's gym, so I'm staying here in the hotel" he explains while checking Hanna out from head to toe, paying special attention to her cleavage and her barely-covered-by-her-dress thighs, then he turns his gaze to Hanna and Caleb's joined hands. "Am I interrupting your date?" he suddenly asks, but in a mocking way.

Hanna "Yeah, you actually are"

Sean laughs. "Always so charming" he says and stands up. "Well, I'll leave you alone… see you around, Han" he says and winks at her.

Hanna rolls her eyes. "Bye, Sean"

Sean walks away and the waiter brings them their last drinks.

Caleb "So… since when this is a date?" he asks amused.

Hanna "I'm sorry that I didn't set him straight about us… he's my ex, he's an idiot" she explains while letting go of his hand and she grabs her drink from the coffee table in front of them.

Caleb "Trying to make him jealous?"

Hanna "What? No" she smiles. "The guy is just a pain in the ass, we broke up like five years ago and he keeps texting me every so often… I just took advantage of him thinking that I was with you, maybe that way he stops bothering me… besides, I'm not into him, I couldn't even think of being with him when I have Jordan… besides, Sean just wants to fuck me again, that's all"

Caleb "Well, I won't argue that, he totally checked you out" he says, being serious now and grabs his drink as well to take a sip.

Hanna "Anyway, I'm sorry"

Caleb "It's okay" he shrugs. "I don't mind"

Hanna smiles at him.

When they finish their drinks, Hanna stands up from the couch.

Hanna "Wow, you never realize how much drunk you actually are until you stand up"

Caleb laughs and stands up as well.

Hanna "Can you take me home? I'm too drunk to drive" she says and wraps her arm around his.

Caleb "I can't drive like this either, Han…"

Hanna nods. "Okay… I'll just take a cab then" she says while they start to walk away, with their arms still intertwined.

Caleb "It's too late for you to leave on your own, and drunk… stay…"

Hanna "Yeah… I guess I can sleep on the couch in my mom's office…"

Caleb "What? No, you are staying with me… the room is pretty large"

Hanna "You don't mind?"

Caleb smiles at her as he leads them to the elevator. "Han, you let me stay in your house last night, and if I have this suite, it's only thanks to you and your mom, so of course I don't mind, in fact, I'd like that you stayed"

Hanna "Okay, I'm staying with you" she smiles back.

/

Once they get in the room, Caleb goes straight to the bathroom and when he comes out, he finds Hanna lying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket.

Caleb "What are you doing there?" he chuckles and sits down on the edge of the couch, at the height of her waist, and looks at her.

Hanna "I'm going to sleep"

Caleb "Yeah, but the bed is over there" he says and nods toward the bed.

Hanna "I'd rather sleep here"

Caleb "Come on… the bed is quite large, Han, even larger than the bed in the guest room at your house, there's enough room for both of us"

Hanna "It's okay… I'm fine on the couch…" she says quietly.

Caleb "It's okay if you don't feel comfortable sharing the bed with me, I get it, but you go to the bed and I'll crash on the couch" he says kindly.

Hanna smiles at him. "It's not that… It's just that… I still feel kind of guilty about getting in your bed last night… even if it was just a friendly thing and Chocolate was there between us, it's not okay, it's not fair to Jordan. But it has nothing to do with you" she gives him another smile. "I feel really comfortable around you"

Caleb "Okay" he smiles back. "But really, let me take the couch and you go to the bed"

Hanna shakes her head. "There's no way I'm moving… besides, have you seen this couch? It's more comfortable than many beds. I'm okay. Just go to sleep, please"

Caleb "I won't make you change your mind, will I?" he gives up.

Hanna shakes her head again, smiling.

Caleb "Do you want some clothes? I can lend you a t-shirt or something…"

Hanna "I'm good in my dress, thanks"

Caleb "Let me know anything, okay?... Good night, babe" he leans in and presses a kiss against her forehead. Then he stands up and goes to the bed, leaving Hanna feeling just the same way he made her feel the night before when he wished her good night and called her beautiful.

/

An hour and a half later, Caleb is sound asleep. But not Hanna. She has been tossing and turning on the couch, not able to go to sleep, and not because the couch wasn't comfortable enough, but because her thoughts are haunting her and being drunk is not helping at all. Jordan, their constant fights, the fact that he hasn't even texted her during all the day long, her life being in pause, Chocolate, having to move to a new place, and even what Caleb told her about his childhood are some of the things that are keeping her awake. At some point, she gets sick of her overwhelming thoughts and stands up from the couch. She's still intoxicated but being barefoot is really helpful to keep steady. She takes her cigarettes from her purse but before she goes out to the balcony, she sees the minibar and goes get a little bottle of something that she is not even sure what it is, but looks strong enough to blur her thoughts.

/

Hanna is smoking her third cigarette, sitting on the floor, and she has drunk more than a half of the little bottle when Caleb shows up over the balcony. He is wearing just sweatpants. Luckily for him, it's a warm summer night.

Caleb "Han… what are you doing out here?" he asks, half asleep.

Hanna "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you…"

Caleb "You didn't… I just had to pee" he says and goes sit down next to her. "Why are you smoking? You are too pretty to ruin yourself by smoking"

Hanna shrugs. "It helps me to chill the fuck out"

Caleb "Hey, you okay?" he asks after her rough answer.

Hanna "Yeah…" she only says.

Caleb "It doesn't seem so" he says and picks up the half empty bottle from the floor.

Hanna "Don't worry, the minibar is on the house too"

Caleb "I don't care about that… what's wrong?"

Hanna "Nothing is wrong, would you please leave me alone?"

Caleb "Stop smoking that shit"

Hanna "Shit, you are being so annoying again. I should have just taken a damn cab… just go back to sleep, Caleb" she says and snatches the bottle from his hand to take another sip.

But Caleb doesn't say a word this time. He just remains there, sitting in silence.

A couple minutes later, when he looks at Hanna, she's about to finish her cigarette when a single tear rolls down on her cheek.

Caleb reaches out and grabs the cigarette from her hand, and taking the risk of being cussed out again, he puts it out. But to his surprise, Hanna doesn't react badly this time.

Hanna "I'm sorry… I treated you like shit again" she says, her gaze lost.

Caleb "Don't worry, I'm kind of used to it now" he jokes and wraps his arm around her, he pulls her closer, hugging her from the side. And he's really happy to see the slight half smile that he causes on her face by saying that.

Hanna rests her cheek on his shoulder and wraps both her arms around his bare torso. "Mmm… you are strong…" she says, feeling his arm holding her tight. "And hot"

Caleb laughs. "And you are drunk as fuck"

Hanna "Uh huh" she says and falls silent.

Caleb "Wanna talk?" he asks after a few minutes.

Hanna "No…"

Caleb "Okay"

Hanna "Let's go to sleep" she says and tries to stand up but she stumbles.

Caleb "Hey, easy there" he says and stands up too, helping her up at the same time.

He wraps an arm around her waist and they go back into the room.

Hanna "I'll just go use the bathroom"

Caleb nods and unwraps his arm from her waist. "Be careful"

Hanna "Uh huh"

And when Hanna comes out from the bathroom, this time is Caleb the one lying on the couch.

Hanna "Hey! That's my place"

Caleb "No, that's yours" he says, pointing at the bed.

Hanna "Get off"

Caleb shakes his head.

Hanna "Fine" she says, but instead of going to the bed, she lies down next to him on the couch.

Caleb chuckles. "You are gonna fall off" he says, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer.

Hanna "Then let's both go to the bed"

Caleb "No, you go. You don't care about it now because you are even more drunk than before, but I don't want you to wake up tomorrow and feel guilty for sharing a bed with me again"

Hanna "Well, it will be the same as waking up and find out that I'm cuddling with you on the couch"

Caleb sighs.

Hanna "I'm being serious, I'm not moving from here unless we both go to the bed"

Caleb "Why do I always end up doing whatever the hell you want?" he says while sitting up on the couch.

Hanna chuckles. "Because I'm your friend"

They get off of the couch and go to the bed. They lie down leaving some space between them. Caleb lies on his back and Hanna on her side, facing him. Only a few minutes later, Caleb is fast asleep when Hanna squeezes his nose with her index finger and her thumb, waking him.

Hanna "You can't sleep until I get to go to sleep too" she says when he opens his eyes and then she rests her head back on her pillow.

Caleb smiles. "Can't sleep?" he asks, still half asleep.

Hanna "I can't stop thinking… I can't shut my mind off"

Many ideas about how to help Hanna chill out and make her go to sleep cross Caleb's mind, but none of them is possible, or even proper. So, he goes just for a simple answer.

Caleb "Hey… I don't know what's tormenting you…" he starts to say as he turns to lie on his side too so he can face her as well. "But I'm pretty sure it has a solution… just try to think of something else and chill" he says, knowing that there would be no point in asking her what's going on since he has learnt by now that Hanna doesn't like talking about her things so much and then again, he's not good at giving advice anyway.

Hanna "I'm sorry… you went through a lot of things yourself, big stuff… and I'm just bothering you with silly things… you must be thinking that I am an unbearable whiner"

Caleb "Not at all…" he reaches out and takes her hand. "I mean that you have a lot of people who cares about you, your friends are great, so is your mom… so I'm just saying that whatever your problem is, you will be okay, you have their support" he says as he strokes her palm with his thumb. "And well… you have Jordan too… I don't know him, but he must be really good if he has gotten to be with such an amazing girl like you" he says, although he is not so sure about that last phrase. He does think that there has to be something special in that guy that makes Hanna want to marry him, but he also knows that he has this beautiful girl completely in love with him and all he does is fight on the phone with her and make her cry, and although he doesn't know what they are fighting over so much, he is pretty sure that if he were in Jordan's place, he would have driven all the way back to Rosewood the first time he heard her crying through the phone.

Hanna "Well… I'm not so sure about Jordan anymore" those words escape from Hanna's lips before she can even think, but she quickly changes the subject. "You forgot about Chocolate, by the way. I have him too" she smiles slightly. "I need him right now… I would be already asleep if he was here…"

Caleb "I can take you home if you want, Han… I mean, I can't drive you, but we can take a cab together and drop you off at your house, and-"

Hanna cuts him off. "I'm okay here. I want to stay with you" she squeezes his hand.

Caleb nods. "Since when do you smoke?" he suddenly asks.

Hanna "Not so long ago… like a year… after Chocolate went missing I would say… I guess I just needed a way to deal with it…"

Caleb "So, I guess it's my fault then" he says, feeling really guilty again for taking the dog away from her.

Hanna notices that. "Hey! What about our pact? You can't feel guilty, it's in the past… besides, you can't blame yourself for a habit that I picked up myself, that's ridiculous. It's no big deal, I just smoke when I get upset, and it definitely is not entirely because of Chocolate all the times, it's been days since he's back with me and I still take a puff every so often. Anyway, I'll quit it, so don't worry"

Caleb nods.

Hanna's phone buzzes on the bedside table and she quickly reaches out to grab it, thinking that maybe it is a text from Jordan, which she has been waiting for during all day long, but it's not. It's a text from Sean.

"Hey, Hanna banana! Just in case you get bored of your date, my room number is 505 ;)"

Hanna smiles amused and shows her phone to Caleb. "See? I told you… he just wants sex from me"

Caleb "What a needy" he says amused after reading the text.

Hanna places the phone back on the bedside table. "Yeah"

Caleb "Why people call you Hanna banana, anyway? Spencer called you that the other day"

Hanna chuckles. "Sean used to call me that in high school, and Spencer was just teasing me the other day" she says and yawns.

Caleb "Seems like you are sleepy now"

Hanna nods and gets a little closer to him. Still leaving some space between their bodies, she takes his arm and wraps both of her arms around it, bringing it closer to her and hugging it against her chest. She also rests her cheek on that arm of him and lowers one of her hands and takes his hand, interlacing their fingers.

Hanna "Good night" she says sweetly, looking forward to hearing what he is going to call her this time when he says it back, but he answers with a joke instead.

Caleb "So, am I allowed to go to sleep now, or I'll be awoken by a kick on my back or something like that as soon as I fall asleep?"

Hanna smiles with her eyes already closed. "I'll let you sleep, I promise… I know I never meet my promises, just this morning I told you I wouldn't get in your bed again and here I am now… but I'll let you sleep, really"

Caleb smiles amused. "Good night, Han" he says before closing his eyes.

And Hanna is surprised to know that even by simply saying her name, he gets to cause that electricity through her entire body again.


	9. Chapter 9

The morning after.

Caleb's phone starts to ring waking them up.

Hanna opens her eyes just in time to see Caleb getting up from the couch and walking toward the bedside table at the other side of the bed where she is lying to grab his phone.

Caleb "Sorry, Han… go back to sleep" he says and answers the call. "Hey, Toby…" he says while going into the bathroom.

Five minutes later, he comes out and finds Hanna still lying on the bed although she's awake.

Hanna "You cheated! You moved to the couch when I was asleep" she smiles at him.

Caleb smiles back. "Yeah…"

Hanna "I told you it was okay"

Caleb "You were drunk"

Hanna "I meant it" she says while taking her phone.

Caleb shrugs and goes sit on the edge of the bed.

Hanna checks her phone looking for a text from Jordan, but all that she has are a couple missed calls from her mom and some texts from Sean which she opens and reads.

Hanna "This guy is needier than I thought" she says with her eyes still on her phone screen.

Caleb "Sean again?" he asks amused.

Hanna "Yeah, I should have made sure that he saw this" she says while raising her hand to point at her ring but when she looks at her hand, there's no ring on her finger. "Fuck! My ring!" she says and jumps off the bed. "Shit! I lost my ring!"

Caleb "Hey, it's okay, you had it last night, it must be somewhere in this room"

Hanna "How would you know?" she asks desperate.

Caleb "I remember seeing it on your finger last night after we got back, chill" of course he remembers that fucking ring, it reminds him what he can't have every time he sees it.

Caleb stands up from the bed to help her look for it.

Hanna "Gosh! I can't believe this! What am I supposed to tell Jordan?" she says as she kneels down on the floor to look for the tiny object.

Caleb "Hey! Calm down! We are going to find it!"

/

Half an hour later, they have turned the room upside down without any result. And Hanna is getting more nervous as the minutes pass by.

Caleb "Look, Han… I gotta go because I'm supposed to meet up with the contractor and Toby at my house in like fifteen minutes… but don't worry, that ring is somewhere here and we are gonna find it" he approaches her and places his hands on her shoulders, making eye contact with her.

Hanna "Jordan will flip out if I tell him that I lost that ring" she says with teary eyes.

Caleb "I'm sure you are more important to him than a freakin' ring… and again, we are going to find it" he leans in and presses a kiss on her forehead. "Chill out, Han… stay here as long as you want, but don't drive yourself crazy, fine? I'll be back later to help you look for it"

Hanna only nods.

Caleb presses another kiss on her cheek before he takes his hands off her shoulders and walks toward the door. "And please, don't light up any cigarette. That shit is not good for you" he says, knowing that she's still a little nervous.

Hanna nods again.

Caleb "Call me if you need anything" he adds after opening the door.

Hanna "Thank you"

Caleb smiles at her before leaving.

/

Hanna leaves the room shortly after Caleb. She knows she will go crazy if she keeps looking for the ring, so she decides to take a break and go have some breakfast. But when she steps off the elevator, she runs into her mom.

Ashley "Hanna! I've been calling you! I was worried, you never came back home last night. I know you are an adult, but please, let me know if you change your plans, I just-"

Hanna "Sorry, mom" she cuts her off. "I got drunk so I stayed here, I slept with Caleb"

Ashley's eyes go wide open in surprise and that's when Hanna realizes what she just said and how bad it sounded.

Hanna "Oh! God! No! I didn't sleep with Caleb… I mean… I didn't have sex with him, we literally slept, oh, shit" her tongue definitely goes faster than her brain while she explains herself and her altered state caused by all the stress that she's going through for losing the ring is not helping at all.

Ashley "You stayed in his room?" she asks perplexed.

Hanna "Yeah, it's no big deal, mom… we are friends" she says, embarrassed by the unexpected conversation that she is suddenly having with her mother.

Ashley "Hanna, you barely met Caleb a few days ago, and even if he was a lifelong friend of yours, it still wouldn't be right, how would you feel if Jordan stayed the night in some woman's hotel room?"

Hanna "Fuck, mom, please, don't judge me, it's no big deal" she repeats again. "Besides, I need your help with something"

Ashley "Okay, but watch your tongue"

Hanna rolls her eyes.

Ashley "What can I help you with?"

Hanna sighs. After the conversation that she just had with her mom, she's not longer sure about telling her about the ring, but she really needs her help.

Hanna "I lost my engagement ring in Caleb's room and I really need to find it" she says quietly.

Ashley's mouth drops open. "Hanna!... Did you take off your engagement ring for something in particular?"

Hanna "Mom, please! Believe me, nothing is going on between Caleb and I. I'm being honest, we did nothing but sleep. That the ring went missing is just a coincidence…"

Ashley nods. She believes her daughter. She can tell when she's lying, and she knows for sure that she's being honest now.

Ashley "Okay, I'll just cancel the cleaning service for his room for now so you can look for it… are you sure you lost the ring inside the room?"

Hanna nods. If Caleb is so sure that she lost it in there, then so she is.

Ashley "I have a lot of things to do right now, but I'll help you look for it later"

Hanna "It's okay, mom. Just cancel the cleaning service. I'm gonna have breakfast and then I'll call one of the girls to help me with that"

Ashley "Are you sure you want to tell them about this issue with your ring and Caleb's hotel room?"

Hanna "They are my friends, mom. I can trust them. Besides, they know that Caleb and I are just friends"

Ashley nods. "Okay, see you later, sweetie. Please, let me know when you find the ring"

Hanna "I will. Bye, mom"

/

Hanna enters Caleb's room followed by Alison.

Alison "Okay, whose room is this and what are we doing here? Will you just tell me what's going on?"

Alison is the one Hanna asked for help. From all her friends, she's the best at keeping secrets and after Ashley's reaction, she thinks it's not needed for all of her friends to know about her last night's stay in Caleb's hotel room after all.

Hanna "It's Caleb's room. And I need you to help me find my engagement ring"

Alison turns and gives her a look of surprise, and Hanna gets more convinced that she did right by not telling all her friends about what happened.

Alison "Are you hooking up with Caleb?"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "Why everyone just assumes that?"

Alison "Well, we are looking for your engagement ring in the guy's freaking hotel room. What am I supposed to think? That you came here to play cards?"

Hanna "I just crashed on the couch because we had some drinks and I couldn't drive my car. That's all"

Alison "Well… so it should be over the couch then… I guess" she says and takes a cushion from the couch to take a look.

Twenty minutes later, they haven't found the ring yet and Hanna starts to desperate again.

Hanna "Oh my god, Jordan is gonna go crazy" she says and sits down on the edge of the bed. She places her elbows on her knees and rests her face on her palms.

Alison goes sit down next to her. "Are you sure you lost it in this room?" she says and places a hand on Hanna's shoulder.

Hanna "Caleb said that I had the ring when we came back here" she says with her face still hidden in her hands.

Alison hears Hanna start to sob. "Hey, it's okay. We will keep looking until we find it" But Hanna doesn't answer so she keeps going. "And if we don't, then we will just get you a fake ring, Jordan won't even notice it"

Hanna "He will… Shit! I'm such a fuck up… I lost my engagement ring in another man's hotel room" she realizes now how bad it all sounds. She felt so good around Caleb the night before that she never considered that she could be doing something wrong, but now reality blows up in her face. She stands up from the bed. "I need to take a pee" she says before getting in the bathroom.

Alison stands up as well to keep looking for the ring. They have looked for it over the entire room. Except for one place. She takes the covers off the bed and shakes them around without result. Then she grabs one of the pillows and does the same, getting nothing again. But when she grabs the other one, before she can even shake it, she finds the ring hooked to a thread from the pillowcase.

Alison smiles happily and takes it. "Han! I've got it, I found it"

Hanna rushes out the bathroom. "Really?"

Alison hands the ring to Hanna.

Hanna "Oh my gosh!" she smiles. "Thank you so much, Ali! Really! You saved me!"

Alison smiles back. "You can thank me by telling me the truth about last night" she sits back on the edge of the bed.

Hanna "What do you mean?" she asks confused.

Alison "Don't play dumb… I found the ring in the bed"

Hanna sighs and goes sit next to her. "Fine. I did sleep in the bed with him. But nothing happened. I'm being honest. We just slept"

Alison "Not even a kiss?"

Hanna shakes her head. "Caleb and I became really close… and maybe too fast… but we are just friends. I love hanging out with him, he is nice, kind, and so much fun… but that's all"

Alison nods. "Okay" she just says and walks to the door. "I gotta go now, Han… see you later"

Hanna "Ali…" she says and Alison turns back to her. "Please, don't tell anyone. I don't want anyone to get it wrong or jump into any conclusions"

Alison smiles at her. "Don't worry. I won't… I believe you that nothing happened, but… do you like Caleb that way?"

Hanna "I'm about to get married, Ali"

Alison "You didn't answer my question"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "Caleb and I are just friends"

Alison "You still didn't answer my question" she repeats again, but she leaves before Hanna can say anything.

/

It's three in the afternoon. Hanna is cuddling with Chocolate on the couch while watching TV. Actually, she's not paying too much attention to the TV. Alison's question has gotten her thinking a lot. But she's Hanna Marin and she's stubborn, so she has only been trying to convince herself of how stupid Alison's question was. Caleb and she are only friends and she is in a very serious relationship with Jordan, they are getting married, for god's sake. And Alison knows nothing, she hasn't been there with them all those times when she and Caleb hanged out together. But on the other hand, she can't ignore the fact that she has spent most of the last days, even nights, with Caleb. So she starts to wonder if she should slow it a little down. What her mother said to her that morning also comes to her mind, and she knows that she was right, it's not okay that she spent the night in Caleb's hotel room, even if nothing happened between them. She would flip out if Jordan did something like that. On top of that, that was the second night she spent with Caleb.

Her phone interrupts her thoughts. It's Caleb. She lets the phone ring a few times while deciding whether to take the call or not. But she ends up answering.

Hanna "Hey…"

Caleb "Han! What's up? Did you find the ring?"

Hanna "Yeah, I did…"

Caleb "Great"

Hanna "Uh huh"

Caleb "You don't sound so excited" he jokes.

Hanna "I just woke up… I was taking a nap" she lies.

Caleb "Oh, did I just wake you? I'm sorry"

Hanna "No, you didn't. It's okay. Anyway, you can go back whenever you want to your room. I left your key at the front desk"

Caleb "OK. Thank you"

Hanna "OK. Bye…"

Caleb "Wait"

Hanna "What?"

Caleb "I'm about to finish here and I was wondering… may I go pick Chocolate up?"

Hanna "Yeah, sure"

Caleb "In like twenty minutes?"

Hanna "Uh huh, that's okay"

Caleb "Thanks. See you"

Hanna "See you" she says and ends the call.

/

Later.

The doorbell rings and Hanna knows it's Caleb, so she stands up from the couch and turns to look at Chocolate who is still lying there.

Hanna "Come on, baby… you are going out with Caleb" she calls for him while heading for the front door. She grabs Chocolate's leash on her way.

Caleb "Hey" he smiles at her.

Hanna "Hi… here's the leash" she says coldly.

Caleb "Thanks" he says while staring at her. But Hanna doesn't even look at him.

Chocolate rushes out the house and greets Caleb excitedly as always.

Caleb "Hey, buddy!" he greets him back while stroking his head. "Wanna go for a walk?" he asks him while putting him on the leash. Then he looks at Hanna. "Wanna come with us?"

Hanna "No, thanks… I don't feel like going out right now…"

Caleb "Are you okay?"

Hanna nods. "Yeah… I have a headache, but I guess it's for last night. I'm fine"

Caleb "Okay, then… I'll bring him back in a while"

Hanna "Okay"

Caleb turns around to walk away and Hanna closes the door. She doesn't even make it back to the couch when her phone starts to ring again. Although it wasn't the reason why she didn't take Caleb's invitation to go out with him and Chocolate, she didn't lie about her headache and it gets worse when she sees the name on her phone screen.

Hanna "Hi, Jordan" she says on the phone while flopping down on the couch. The last thing she needs right now is having a fight with Jordan again.

Jordan "Hi, beautiful. I miss you"

Hanna gets surprised by his warm greet, even more considering that their last talk was like two days ago and they only fought.

Hanna "Why didn't you call me before? I was waiting for your call… or a text at least"

Jordan "I know I should have called earlier, but I didn't know what to say"

Hanna "And you do know now?"

Jordan "I've been thinking a lot…"

Hanna "About what?"

Jordan "About what you told me… I know I haven't been paying too much attention to you lately, but I want to do things right. This is taking longer than I thought, and I'll be here in Washington for another month. But I promise, I really promise you that I'll go see you soon, I don't know exactly when, but very soon. And I also have thought about what you said about our apartment… that you don't feel it like your home, and it kills me, Han. We are looking for a new place, a dog-friendly place and we are looking for it together as soon as we are back in New York, is that okay?"

Hanna is speechless. She wasn't expecting that at all.

Jordan "Han?"

Hanna "Yeah, that's okay" she smiles.

Jordan "Great… what are you doing?" he asks, trying to make some conversation.

Hanna "Just lying on the couch… you?"

Jordan "With Chocolate?"

Hanna "No, he is gone for a walk… Caleb picked him up a while ago"

Jordan "Who's Caleb?"

Hanna "Oh, I never told you? Caleb is the guy who found him. He's really nice, he has been hanging out with me and the guys, and he loves Chocolate, so I'm letting him see him every day"

Jordan "That's good… maybe he can take care of the dog for a weekend so you can come to see me too"

Hanna "Maybe" she smiles. "But you have to come to Rosewood first"

Jordan "Hey, I already promised that. I will"

Hanna "When?"

Jordan "I don't know, babe… soon"

Hanna "Okay"

Jordan "I have to go now, Han. Let's talk tomorrow, fine?"

Hanna "Okay, but you call me when you have time to talk to me, I'll go crazy if I get to your voicemail again"

Jordan laughs. "Fine, I'll call you. Bye, Han. I love you"

Hanna "I love you too"

/

Caleb rings the doorbell at Hanna's for the second time in the day. But this time, she opens the door with a smile.

Hanna "Hey, baby, you are back" she says to the dog, obviously.

Caleb takes the leash off Chocolate and the dog gets into the house.

Caleb "Feeling better?" he asks, still standing at the door.

Hanna "Yeah" she gives him a slight smile.

Caleb "Good" he says and hands her a chocolate bar. "I've got you this"

Hanna takes the chocolate. "Thanks, but… why is this?"

Caleb shrugs. "You looked upset before… and I just thought that it was going to be better if you had a chocolate instead of a cigarette"

Hanna "Thank you" she says again, but then she narrows her eyes. "Hey! I told you I didn't smoke that much, you are making me see like a freaking addicted to nicotine" she says amused.

Caleb laughs. "I know, I was just joking… you just told me the other night how much you like chocolate, and I only wanted to make you feel better, that's all"

Hanna's heart melts at Caleb's sweetness. And she regrets having treated him so coldly before. It wasn't his fault that she was feeling guilty about having spent the night with him again. He even moved to the couch when she fell asleep, and on top of that, she was the one who got in his bed, twice. He didn't do anything wrong.

Caleb "Well, I'll leave you alone… see you" he says and he is about to turn away but Hanna grabs his arm.

Hanna "Wait, wanna come in?"

Caleb "It's okay, I don't want to bother"

Hanna "Come on… I'm alone… and my mom is not coming back for dinner, she texted me she would go out with Ted… we can order something for dinner"

Caleb "You sure?"

Hanna nods and moves to the side, making some room for him to go inside. Caleb is her friend, she won't turn her back to him just because of what other people could think. Much less after the talk they had the night before. He trusted her a lot of things about his life, things that he never told anyone else. And she did the same. She feels really good around him, and she won't push him away.

* * *

Guys! I'm glad that you liked last chapter that much! Thanks for your reviews. I know you all want them to kiss already, I want that too! I really want it haha, but it's like the story is developing by itself, I'm not sure if I am even controlling it, it just goes LOL. Anyway, I don't think there's too much left before that happens, but Hanna has to get to a breaking point first, I want her to really want it, I want her to stop deceiving herself, to stop trying to control everything, and just let it happen...

Till next update! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Next day. Thursday.

Hanna is at Alison's. Aria, Emily and Spencer are there too. They are hanging out in the living room.

Spencer rolls her eyes. "Yeah, that's true" she says to Emily "But he got really overprotective too lately… he drives me nuts sometimes"

They are talking about her pregnancy and how she and Toby got so cheesily closer than ever.

Aria smiles. "I think that's really cute"

Spencer "Speak of the devil…" she says and grabs her phone after it buzzes.

Emily "Checking on you?" she asks amused.

Spencer "Uh huh" she says while typing on her phone to text him back.

Alison checks the time on her phone. "Why don't you tell him to come?" she says and then she turns to look at Aria. "And you text Ezra too, let's get together for dinner"

Hanna "Can I invite Caleb to come as well?"

Alison gives her an amused smile. "Sure"

Hanna rolls her eyes at her. "Chocolate is with him, I needed to get him back anyway"

Hanna has dropped Chocolate off at Caleb's on her way to Alison's house earlier. She had plans with the girls and he was busy with the house repairs, so they only exchanged a few words.

Alison "It's okay, I didn't say anything" she chuckles.

Emily "What's going on?" she asks, feeling like she is being left out of something while Spencer and Aria are still focused on their phones.

Hanna "Nothing" she says while taking her phone as well to text Caleb.

Spencer "Okay, Toby is coming" she says and puts her phone down.

Aria "So is Ezra"

Alison "Great… what should we have for dinner? I'm cooking"

/

They all are already at the house when Caleb rings the doorbell. Chocolate by his side.

Emily "Hey" she gives him a smile after opening the door. "How are you doing, Caleb?"

Caleb "Pretty good, you?" he smiles back.

Emily "I'm good too, please, come in" she moves to the side and Caleb and Chocolate step into the house. "Hey, auntie's baby" she says to the dog while going down on her knees in order to greet him. "Toby and Ezra are in the living room, the girls in the kitchen" she says to Caleb and turns back to Chocolate. "You are such a sweetie" she presses a kiss on the side of his snout.

Of course, Caleb heads for the kitchen.

Caleb "Hey, guys!" he greets them with a smile, and the girls greet him back. But he pays special attention to one in particular.

Hanna "Hey" she turns around and smiles at him. She's standing before the kitchen countertop next to Alison, she's helping her chop some vegetables.

Caleb approaches her and moves her hair back to place a sweet kiss on her cheek. Then he just turns around and leaves the kitchen to go with Toby and Ezra.

Alison elbows Hanna.

Hanna "Stop it" she whispers to her.

/

After dinner.

Hanna gets back into the house after taking Chocolate outside since he asked to go out to pee.

In the meanwhile, her friends have moved from the dining room to the living room. All the seats are taken so she heads for the armchair where Caleb is sitting, but when she is about to sit on the armrest, he places his hand on her waist and pulls her onto his lap instead. Hanna gives him a smile and rests her arm on his shoulders.

No one pays attention to that, they are focused on the conversation that they are having, except for Alison who makes eye contact with Hanna and shoots her another amused smile. Hanna ignores her and looks away, turning her gaze to Ezra who is the one talking at the moment. Emily, who is sitting right next to Alison, gets to see that situation and she feels like she's being left out of something again, but she lets it go, taking a mental note to ask Alison about it later, not to interrupt the group talk.

Although all of them have to go work or have things to do the next day, they end up having drinks while talking about everything and nothing.

Toby "So… are you finally going to tell us who are you hooking up with?" he suddenly asks Caleb, amusement in his face as he shoots his question.

Caleb rolls his eyes. Toby has been bothering him all the afternoon long over that. He is convinced that Caleb is having something with some chick.

Toby "Come on, man… you are most of the time out when you are supposed to be working on the house, it will take you a whole year to get those house repairs done if you keep that pace"

Spencer "Are you seeing someone, Caleb?" she asks amused as well.

Aria "Maybe we know the girl… this is a small town" she adds.

Hanna, who is still sitting on his lap, looks down at him. "Hey! I can't believe you are seeing someone and you didn't even mention it to me"

Caleb bites his bottom lip while smiling and shakes his head. "I'm not hooking up with anyone…" he takes a sip of his drink. "And you should know it better than anyone" he adds while looking at Hanna this time. "I spend most of the time with you, you would know if I were" he says casually.

Ezra "Well, we should go out any of these nights… you need to meet someone"

Aria smiles. "It's been months since the last time we went out at night, like going for drinks… not to mention a night club, we always hang at our houses…"

Ezra "I meant a men's night out… we want to get him a girl and being surrounded by a group of girls will only shoo them away"

Aria rolls her eyes and grabs her glass.

Hanna's phone buzzes from the coffee table, so she takes it. "Why is Mona texting me? How the fuck does she even know that I'm in Rosewood?"

Alison laughs. "You are gonna have to go tea with her"

Hanna chuckles. "Yeah, sure… I'll invite her to get together with all of you" she jokes as she types on her phone.

Aria "No way"

Emily "Why are you even texting her back?"

Hanna "Hey, don't be mean… she's just a little intense… but she's kind"

Spencer "Why didn't you let her know you were in Rosewood then?" she teases her.

Hanna "Well, I wasn't exactly planning to hang out with her" she raises her eyebrows and puts her phone back on the table.

Caleb "I think I'm the guilty one here…"

Emily "Do you know her?" she asks surprised.

Hanna "Please, don't tell me she's the one you are hooking up with!"

Caleb rolls his eyes. "I told you I'm not hooking up with anyone… I just ran into her this afternoon when I was walking Chocolate, she recognized him and approached us, she said that he was your dog and that you had lost it, she wanted me to bring him back to you, but then I told her that I was a friend of yours and that I was just walking him"

Hanna "Oh"

Caleb "She also mentioned something about a camp…" he narrows his eyes while trying to remember.

Spencer "Camp Mona?" she says while bursting out of laughter.

Caleb "Yeah, that!"

Everyone starts laughing as well, except for Hanna.

Hanna "Oh, shit! She's gonna invite me to come to her birthday party"

Caleb "I don't get it" he says confused, not understanding why everyone is laughing so hard.

Aria "Camp Mona! I can't believe she's still doing that"

Alison "So lame!"

Emily "I can already picture you wearing a Camp Mona t-shirt" she says to Hanna, between laughs.

Hanna "I don't know why you are laughing so much, you all are coming with me"

Spencer "Yeah, sure… no way"

Caleb "What's Camp Mona?" he asks again.

Hanna "Mona throws a party every year to celebrate her birthday, it is in the middle of the woods, it started as a camp, that's why it's called Camp Mona, and it was only for girls at first, spending the night in tents, getting our hair done, varnishing our nails, doing our make-up, but then they turned into big parties, and guys started to come as well, good music, a lot of drinks, they are not so bad now… but still…"

Aria "Yeah, well… there's no way we are going to Camp Mona"

Hanna "Come on, guys, I can't say no"

Alison "She hasn't even invited you yet, maybe she just wants to say hi"

Right after Alison finishes saying that, Hanna's phone buzzes again.

Hanna takes it and after reading a text, she looks back at Alison. "She just invited me"

Emily smiles amused. "Well, you can send us a selfie with Mona"

Hanna "You can take a selfie with her yourself because she just told me I could bring all of you with me"

Spencer "I'm not going"

Aria "I'm not going either"

Hanna turns her gaze to Caleb. "You are coming with me… this is your fault" she wraps an arm around his neck.

Caleb shrugs. "I have nothing better to do anyway… when would it be?

Hanna "Not this weekend, but next weekend"

Caleb "Fine"

Hanna smiles and places a kiss on his cheek, then starts to type on her phone again.

Toby "Well, maybe you can get yourself some girl there"

Ezra nods, agreeing with Toby. "Yeah, who knows, maybe you end up getting laid thanks to Camp Mona" he says amused.

Hanna "Hey, what's wrong with you two today? You sound like a couple of horny teenagers, besides, he's going as my date, so he can't leave with any slut"

Alison "You know what? It doesn't sound so bad… Em and I are going too"

Emily "What?"

Alison gives her a knowing look. "Come on, babe… when was the last time we partied? It will be fun"

Emily "Okay, we can leave early anyway"

Hanna smiles. "Great"

At some point, Hanna goes to the kitchen in order to prepare some more drinks.

Caleb "Want some help with that?" he asks while getting into the room a few minutes later.

Hanna "Yeah, you can help me to take the glasses there when I finish" she says as she puts some ice in the glasses.

Caleb stands next to her and rests his lower back against the kitchen countertop next to her. Hanna shoots him a smile as she starts to fill a glass.

Hanna "I kind of missed you today"

Caleb "Really? How's that?" he asks with a grin in his face.

Hanna "Well, we have been getting together every day since we met, and today we didn't hang out till the evening"

Caleb "What are you doing tomorrow?" he suddenly asks.

Hanna "You tell me"

Caleb "You are coming with me to the paint store… I have the feeling that you have a better taste in colors than me… and I'm pretty sure you can match the colors way better than me too"

Hanna chuckles. "Okay"

Caleb "And then you are helping me paint the living room"

Hanna laughs. "What? I thought you had hired people to do that"

Caleb smiles amused. "Yeah, but they are starting to paint the outside of the house on Monday, and I want to start working on the inside as soon as possible so I can go back home"

Hanna "Fine, I'll help you. You are right, I'm pretty good at matching colors, but I'm not so good at painting though"

Caleb laughs. "It's okay, you don't really have to paint… it's just an excuse to hang out together anyway" he shrugs.

Hanna feels her inside burn at that sweet answer of him, but before she can even think of what to say or do, her phone starts to ring on the counter between she and Caleb.

Caleb "Don't answer" he says before Hanna gets the chance to check the screen, but when she does, she gets why he said that, it's George.

Hanna looks at Caleb. "He might need something"

Caleb "Fuck him, then. He doesn't deserve anything from you after how bad he treated you the other day"

Hanna "Maybe it's about Jordan..."

Caleb "He will call you himself if he needs anything"

Hanna nods and rejects the call. Then she turns her gaze back to Caleb and by the sweet smile that he gives her, she starts to feel the need to hug him, but she doesn't move, she just stares at him, and as if he could read her thoughts, he reaches out and takes her hand, pulling her closer to him, he is still leaning against the kitchen countertop and Hanna is standing before him when he wraps his arms around her. Hanna smiles as she hugs him back and rests her chin on his shoulder.

Only a few seconds later, Hanna pulls a little back to look at him, she rests her palms on his shoulders. Caleb lowers his arms, keeping them around her, but at the height of her waist this time.

Caleb "You seem really happy tonight"

Hanna "I am happy" she smiles.

Caleb only smiles back and presses a soft kiss against her cheek.

Hanna moves her hands from his shoulders to his face, she cups his cheeks. "How is it possible that just some days ago I couldn't even stand you and now I don't want to go through an entire day without seeing you a little at least" she says while caressing his cheeks with her thumbs.

Caleb is too lost in her eyes to even say a word.

The sound of the door opening brings them back to reality and when they turn around, they see Emily.

Emily "Sorry, I just…" she says awkwardly.

Hanna moves away from Caleb's embrace.

Alison comes into the room right behind Emily. She seems amused. "Hey, are our drinks going to be ready for tonight? Or I'll end up having a mojito for breakfast?" she jokes.

Hanna "Yeah, I'm almost done" she says as she goes back to prepare the drinks. "Those are ready, Caleb, take them to the guys" she adds then.

Caleb "Okay" he only says and takes two glasses before he leaves the kitchen.

Alison finally lets out a laughter.

Emily "What was that?"

Hanna "What was what?"

Emily gives her an obvious look, then she turns to Ali. "And you know something, I've noticed your little smiles today"

Hanna "She knows nothing because there's nothing for her to know"

Emily "What's going on with Caleb, then?"

Hanna "We are friends"

Alison chuckles. "You are friends with Toby and Ezra too and you aren't all over them all the time or sleep with them"

Emily's eyes go wide open. "Did you-?"

Hanna cuts her off. "God, no! Of course no. I'm engaged to Jordan, remember?"

Emily "So?" she asks confused.

Hanna "I just stayed in his room at the Radley the other night, but that was because I got drunk after we had some drinks there at the bar, nothing happened between us, I like spending time with him, that's all" she says, taking two glasses, and she leaves the kitchen too.

Emily "How did you know about that?" she asks Alison once Hanna is gone.

Alison "She lost her engagement ring in the room and she asked me for some help"

Emily "Oh…" she says surprised. "And do you believe her? That nothing happened between them?"

Alison "Yeah, I do" she says convinced. "But I also believe that she does like Caleb… she won't admit it so easily, we are talking about Hanna… but she just needs a little push, that's why we are going to Mona's party with them" she smiles amused.

Emily rolls her eyes. "Ali, please…" she begs her. "We are no longer in high school, I don't want you to do any of your moves… I don't like Jordan either, and I surely like Caleb better for her, but she's an adult, leave her alone, she has to make her own decisions"

Alison "I know. I won't do anything, Em… but I just think she needs to have a reality hit… haven't you noticed how she tries to minimize the problems that she has with Jordan all the time? She's always making excuses for him. The guy doesn't deserve her. If she really likes Caleb, I want her to admit it in time, I don't care if she tells us, I want her to admit it to herself, and then, she can make her own decisions, just like you said, she's an adult, but she's my friend too, and I'm done seeing her unhappy… she is back to be herself now, and I don't think that it's only because of Chocolate being back, of course that's a big part why, but Caleb has to do with that too, and I want to keep her that way. So, if she likes Caleb, I want her to accept it at least, even if she never allows herself to give it a chance…"

Emily "Fine, just promise you won't screw up"

Alison "I won't, I promise"

Emily "I think Caleb is into Hanna too" she smiles.

Alison "Oh, really? You think?" she says with sarcasm.

Emily rolls her eyes.

Alison laughs and approaches her. "I love your innocence" she takes her hand and pecks her lips before they go back to the living room.

Hanna is not on Caleb's lap now, so Alison sits down next to Hanna and Emily sits on her lap.

Shortly after, Spencer and Toby leave. Ezra, Caleb, Aria and Hanna help Emily and Alison to clean up and then they leave too.

Caleb walks Hanna to her car and opens the rear door for Chocolate who jumps into the car quickly. Then he closes the door and turns to Hanna.

Caleb "I'm sorry for what happened in the kitchen" he suddenly says.

Hanna smiles. "For what?"

Caleb "I don't know, maybe I made you feel uncomfortable… or something…" he says, remembering how she pulled away from him as soon as her friends got there.

Hanna "Hey! Never apologize again for hugging me. I love your hugs" she reassures him with another kind smile. She knows that it was more than just a hug, or at least that's how she felt it, but she tries to minimize it.

Caleb smiles back. "So, you are still in for tomorrow?"

Hanna "Of course, baby"

And that "baby" coming from Hanna's mouth sends waves of electricity through his entire body, making him fall silent and also making him feel just the way he made Hanna feel so many times too, although he doesn't know it.

Hanna "Well, see you tomorrow, then" she kisses his cheek and walks toward the driver side where she opens the door.

Caleb "Bye, Han" it's all he says before she gets in the car and closes the door.

* * *

Hey! I'm sorry that I didn't show up this weekend, but here I am! And I loved your reviews about last chapter, by the way! Thank you, and I hope you like this one as well... I know I keep teasing you haha, but be patient! :) xx


	11. Chapter 11

Caleb parks his car in front of Hanna's house and texts her. Two minutes later, she opens the door of the passenger seat and gets in his car.

Hanna "Hey" she says, smiley, and kisses his cheek.

Caleb "Hey… How are you doing?" he asks a few seconds later, after recovering from that brief kiss on his cheek. Although Hanna has done it several times now, and it seems really natural for her as she keeps doing it, it still means a lot for him, since he is not used to that kind of affection, and every time she gets that close to him, he gets the chance to breath in that rich scent of her.

Hanna "I'm good, you? Did you take pictures of your new floor as I asked you?" she asks excitedly.

Caleb "Yeah… here" he hands her his phone.

Hanna "Great! We need to match the paint color with the floor too… have you thought what kind of furniture you want for the living room?" she says as she goes through the photos.

Caleb turns to look at her. "What do you mean by what kind?" he asks before he turns his gaze back to the road.

Hanna "Like the style? Colors?… I don't know… materials? Everything has to match perfectly"

Caleb chuckles. "I've no idea, Han… I guess I'll need your help with that too"

Hanna "Well… we can just go for a classic color that we can match easily with anything later… we will see…" she smiles.

Caleb "You like these things, don't you?" he asks, noticing how much interested she seems. "Like interior design… decoration…"

Hanna "Yeah… I guess I do… I haven't thought of it… but I guess it is because it's pretty much alike fashion design…" she just says.

Caleb nods.

/

After paying for the paint, Caleb approaches Hanna who is still going through one of the paint colors catalogues. He stands behind her back and sees that she's staring at one page full of different shades of pink.

Caleb "If you are picking a color for another of the rooms in my house, that's not the right page" he jokes.

Hanna laughs and turns around. "I was just taking a look… are you done?"

Caleb nods. "Let's go" he says and they start walking out the store.

Hanna "Mind if we stop by at my place? I want to go get something" she asks as Caleb puts the paint cans into the car trunk.

Caleb "No problem"

/

Some minutes later, Hanna comes out from her house and gets back in the car. She changed the little purse that she was wearing earlier for another one a little bigger.

Caleb "What did you get in there?"

Hanna "My sketchbook"

Caleb "That's where you make your designs?"

Hanna "Yeah…" she simply says.

Caleb "Can I see some?"

Hanna shakes her head.

Caleb "Why not?"

Hanna "They aren't so good… they are old… from like a year ago… I haven't designed anything in a while"

Caleb "Oh, come on, I'm sure they are great" he says as he starts to drive away.

Hanna laughs. "And what would you know about fashion anyway?... I'll tell you what, if something decent comes up, then I'll let you take a look"

Caleb "So you are not helping me to paint?" he asks, focused on the road.

Hanna "No, I'm not painting… I'll just keep you company"

Caleb smiles. "Well, that's good too"

Hanna "Why didn't you ask Toby to help you with that?"

Caleb "Because he would have said yes"

Hanna "That's the point"

Caleb "He has been helping me a lot after work already, and I know he wants to spend more time with Spencer, that's why I didn't even mention to him that I was going to start to paint the inside today, he would have come even if I told him not to"

Hanna "Yeah, he's such a great friend… he's one of the most wonderful people I know"

Caleb smiles. "He said the same about you…"

Hanna chuckles. "Really?"

Caleb "Yeah… when we found out that the crazy girl who yelled at me over her dog was also one of his closest friends… I didn't like you that much back then" he laughs. "But I agree with him now" he adds.

Hanna smiles shyly and looks out the window.

/

3 hours later.

Caleb is about to start to paint the last wall of the living room. He and Hanna have been talking about everything and nothing as he painted the walls and she drew in her sketchbook, and as always, they have been joking and laughing a lot too.

Hanna is lying on her stomach in the center of the room, on the only piece of floor that is uncovered, since Caleb has covered it all around the walls in order to protect his new floor from the paint. She is focused on her design now so she has been silent for the last half hour. She's surrounded by a lot of colorful pencils that she has brought from her house along with her sketchbook.

Caleb "So, you are not even helping me with one single wall?" he says while climbing on the ladder.

Hanna looks up at him and chuckles. "Why? You have done a pretty good job so far… besides, I am helping you… You didn't notice it, but I'm supervising you from here… I'll let you know if you miss some spot"

Caleb "Oh, that's really helpful, thanks" he says with sarcasm. "Well, I'll have to give it another coat of paint later anyway, you can actually help me then if you want, instead of just pretending to be helping me from there" he starts to apply some paint on the wall with his roller.

Hanna laughs and stands up. "Fine, I'll help you" she says and takes a roller as well.

Caleb smiles at her, but before she can wet the roller in the tray of paint, he stops her. "Wait"

Hanna "What? Am I doing something wrong already?" she asks confused. "I didn't even touch the paint yet, I told you I didn't know how to paint a wall" she adds amused.

Caleb laughs. "No… it's just that you are going to stain your clothes… I have some t-shirts upstairs, go get one"

Hanna "Oh… no, I don't want to stain one of your t-shirts either"

Caleb "It's fine… my favorite ones are at the hotel anyway, just go take one, second door on the right"

Hanna doubts for a moment.

Caleb "I always end up doing what you want, it's your turn now"

Hanna laughs. "Fine" she says and makes her way upstairs.

Just a couple of minutes later, she comes back wearing one of his t-shirts, she kept her jeans, of course, but Caleb turns to look at her and he smiles seeing how good she looks in his garment. She's cute, and hot, and he can't stop staring at her.

Hanna "Are you going to paint too? Or you will just stare at me as I paint while pretending to be supervising me from there?" she jokes.

Caleb laughs and gets back to paint.

Of course, Caleb paints most of the wall while Hanna takes a lot of time in just a little spot. When the wall is almost finished, Caleb stands by her side and watches her. She's really trying her best. Her face is serious and her lips pressed in a straight line. She seems as focused on her duty as she was before while drawing on her sketchbook.

When she is finally done, she turns to Caleb and gives him a smile.

Hanna "It looks pretty good, doesn't it?" she says and turns back to look at the piece of wall that she just painted.

Caleb "Yeah…" he says and takes the brush that he used moments ago to paint the corners of the wall. "But you missed a spot…"

Hanna "Where?" she looks at him confused.

Caleb "Here" he says and runs the brush down her cheek, leaving a line of paint across the side of her face.

Hanna "Caleb! I'll kill you!" she yells and burst out laughter.

Caleb starts to laugh as well. Hanna tries to get her payback by passing her roller on his face as well but Caleb turns around and covers his face with his hands, and she only gets to roll the roller on his hands, that were already stained with paint anyway. So she climbs on his back, wrapping her free hand around his neck and her legs around his waist and tries again, but she almost falls off in the meanwhile and when Caleb takes one of his hands off his face and wraps his arm around her in order to hold her, Hanna finally gets to put some paint on his face. Caleb stops laughing and lets her down, then he covers his face with his hands.

Hanna stops laughing. "You okay?"

Caleb "I think I got some paint in my eye"

Hanna "Oh, shit! I'm so sorry, Caleb" she says while approaching him, she lays her hands on his hands. "Let me help you, let me see"

Caleb smiles and uncovers his face. "I'm kidding, I'm okay"

Hanna bites her bottom lip. "Fuck you! You really scared me"

Caleb laughs and wraps his arms around her waist. "Don't get mad" he says and rubs his nose against her clean cheek, staining it with the paint that she just got on his face, so now both of her cheeks are full of paint.

Hanna smiles. "You are an idiot" she wraps her arms around his neck. "But I can't get mad at you"

Caleb tightens his grip around her waist, holding her closer, so now her body is pressed against his. Hanna's body goes in shock at that closeness and she wonders if he can feel how bad her heart is pounding against her chest. She pulls a little back and looks at him. She didn't reach his eyes like he tried to make her believe seconds ago, but she did a good job and covered most of his face with paint. She smiles amused and takes her hands to his face. She cups his cheeks and starts to wipe the paint off his lips with her thumbs.

Caleb only stares at her. He wonders if she's doing that, wiping the paint off his lips, to kiss him after… he could die right then if that happened. But then she interrupts his thoughts with a joke.

Hanna "I think I won. You have got more paint on your face than I do" she chuckles and pulls away from the embrace. "You should go wash your face"

Of course she wasn't going to kiss him, "what the fuck was I thinking?", is what Caleb thinks as he turns around and disappears through the hallway.

/

Caleb comes back a few minutes later, his face is free of paint. Hanna has already picked up her belongings from the floor and she's putting her sketchbook back in her purse as well now.

Caleb "Hey, you said you would let me see that"

Hanna smiles slightly. "It isn't finished yet" she says and zips her purse. "I think I should go wash the paint off my face too"

Caleb nods and Hanna is the one that disappears through the hallway now. He starts to close the cans of paint when Hanna's phone starts to ring on the floor next to her purse. He grabs it and although he doesn't like the name that is on its screen, he takes the phone to her. The bathroom door is wide open so he stands there.

Hanna finishes drying her face with a towel and turns to him to grab her phone from his hand. "Thank you"

As soon as she has her phone, Caleb walks away, leaving her alone.

Hanna "Jordan?"

Jordan "Han! Where are you?"

Hanna "I'm out, why?" she answers, a little confused by his question.

Jordan "Because I'm at your mother's and no one is answering the door"

Hanna "You are what?" she asks smiling.

Jordan laughs. "I'm here, babe… I just wanted to surprise you"

Hanna chuckles. "Really? You are here in Rosewood?"

Jordan "Uh huh… where are you? I want to see you"

Hanna "Hold on, I'll be there in no time" she says and ends the call.

Hanna goes back to the living room but Caleb is no there, so she goes to the kitchen and finds him washing the brushes and rollers that they used to paint.

Caleb turns to her as soon as he hears her walking into the room. "Hey… I was thinking we could take a break and go out for lunch"

Hanna "I'm sorry, I gotta go… Jordan just called me, he's here in Rosewood"

Caleb "Oh" he only says and forces a smile, then he turns the tap off and dries his hands. "Where's he? I'll take you there"

Only when Caleb offers to take her to Jordan, Hanna remembers that she's not in her car since Caleb picked her up that morning.

Caleb "Or I can take you home and you can get your car" he offers when Hanna doesn't answer.

Hanna "Jordan is at my house… you don't mind taking me there?"

Caleb "Of course not"

Hanna gives him a light smile. "OK… I should go change back into my clothes before we go" she leaves the kitchen.

/

Only a few minutes later, Caleb parks in front of Hanna's house. Jordan's car is parked on the driveway.

Hanna "Thank you for taking me here" she says while grabbing her purse.

Caleb "It was the least I could do after you came help me with the paint"

Hanna gives him a smile and opens the door, but before she can even turn around to climb out, something comes to her mind. "Oh, you can pick Chocolate up later, if you want… I would let you take him with you now, but I want Jordan to meet him and…"

Caleb "Hey, it's okay, don't worry. Let's talk later. Just go, I don't want to keep you"

Hanna gives him another slight smile before she gets out of the car. And although Caleb always waits for her to get into the house when he takes her home, this time he drives away as soon as she closes the car door.

Jordan comes out from his car when he sees Hanna approaching, so they meet before she can reach the front door.

Jordan "Hi, beautiful" he says smiling and opens his arms for her.

Hanna smiles back and goes hug him. "Hey…"

Jordan wraps his arms around her.

Hanna "What are you doing here? Friday at noon?"

Jordan "I told you I would come see you very soon"

Hanna smiles again and pulls a little away from the hug. She takes her hands to his face and starts to kiss him, but Jordan only kisses her back for a couple of seconds before he pulls away.

Jordan "We are in the middle of the street, Han"

Hanna has always hated how Jordan is so cold towards her when they are in public, but they are back together after several days of being away from each other, so instead of rolling her eyes at him, she just smiles slightly "It was just a kiss" she says as she opens the front door.

As soon as they get into the house, Chocolate shows up and starts to bark at Jordan, who backs down, shocked by the dog's huge size, and stands behind Hanna.

Hanna "Hey, calm down, Chocolate… it's okay, baby" she says to the dog, then she takes Jordan's hand and looks at him. His scared-to-death face causes her to laugh a little. "It's fine, babe, he just needs to meet you… don't worry, he won't attack you or anything"

Jordan "He's bigger than I thought"

Hanna laughs again. "Come with me… let's go to the couch, he just needs to see that everything is fine, that's all… he will be friendly, I promise"

Jordan follows Hanna to the living room, he's still pretty unsure about the dog, but at least, Chocolate has stopped barking now. They sit on the couch and Chocolate sits on the floor in front of Hanna, his eyes laid on Jordan the whole time, watching him carefully.

Hanna chuckles. "It's okay, Chocolate… chill" she presses a kiss on the dog's head, then she looks at Jordan. "So… how many days are you staying?"

Jordan "Till Sunday" he only says, staring at Chocolate as well. He doesn't want to lose sight of him.

Hanna notices that. "He's good, I promise… he's just a little protective of me and he doesn't know you, that's all"

Jordan nods.

Hanna "I can take him out to the backyard if you want, but… he will need to meet you anyway at some point, so it would be-"

Jordan "No, it's fine" he cuts her off.

Hanna "Okay… so… tell me, how are you doing there in Washington? What have you been up to?"

Hanna and Jordan chat for a while before she gets bored and without realizing, she stops paying attention to what he's telling her. Her mind takes her back to what happened at Caleb's, the strange sensations that she felt in her entire body while hugging him, just like it happened the night before at Alison's. She's absent-minded when Jordan places his hand on her knee.

Jordan "Han?" he says and brings her back to reality.

Hanna pushes her thoughts back and gives him a smile.

Jordan smiles back. "Am I boring you?"

Hanna shakes her head and moves onto his lap, she straddles him.

Hanna "Let's no talk" she says and starts to kiss him desperately.

Jordan kisses her back the same way and in no time, they both are breathing heavily. He stands up from the couch, carrying Hanna along with him, but as soon as he stands on his feet, Chocolate stands up as well and starts to bark at him again.

Jordan breaks the kiss, tilts his head back and sighs in frustration.

Hanna "Just let me take him to the backyard" she says while getting back on her feet.

Jordan "It's okay, we should go out for lunch anyway"

Hanna "But I need you…"

Jordan gives her a smile. "We have plenty of time to do that later… you don't want to go out all sweaty"

Hanna shrugs and wraps her arms back around his neck, "I don't really care" she says, but Chocolate starts to bark again when Jordan places his hands on Hanna's waist and resumes the kiss.

Hanna "Okay, fine." She says and pulls away from Jordan. "We better get going, I was starving anyway"

/

Later.

Toby is sitting on the couch watching some TV when Spencer shows up in the living room and sits down next to him.

Toby "Hey, you woke up" he wraps an arm around her shoulders and places a kiss on her cheek.

Spencer yawns. "I can't believe I took a nap after having woken up half past eleven this morning"

Toby chuckles. "You are pregnant, you can sleep as much as you want"

Spencer rests her head on his shoulder. "Hanna texted me… Jordan is in Rosewood, she wants all of us to meet up tonight and go out for dinner"

Toby doesn't answer.

Spencer "I know it's not the best plan for a Friday night, but-"

Toby cuts her off. "Not the best plan? Last time we went out with Jordan, I wasted two hours of my life listening to his lame-ass stories, sitting at a table of that ridiculously expensive restaurant where he made that reservation and we ended up paying like five hundred bucks for a hideous wine"

Spencer chuckles. "Let's do it for Han, please"

Toby "I'll tell you what, tell them to come over here, I'm making a barbecue… I can endure Jordan's boring-ass stories better with a beer in hand and at my own place… and I'm inviting Caleb to come as well"

Spencer sits up straight and looks at him. "You sure?"

Toby "Yeah, why not? He has been coming over every time we get together with the guys lately, they like him"

Spencer "Yeah, I know, I like him too… but…"

Toby "What?"

Spencer "Never mind, I'll text Han"

Toby "No, now tell me"

Spencer "It's nothing… it's just that… have you noticed how much time Hanna has been spending with Caleb since they met? They practically hang out all day long… and I think Caleb is into her, well, I'm sure she likes him as well, but it's different, she won't ruin what she has with Jordan for him…" she says while texting Hanna.

Toby "You sure?"

Spencer rolls her eyes. "It's obvious… what's wrong with you men that never notice these things? Are you blind or what? The other day, when they brought us some presents for the baby and stayed for dinner, it was really obvious, I'm not sure of what's going on, but there's something, and I think it's more than just sexual tension… from Caleb, at least, the way he looks at her…"

Toby laughs. "Well, I didn't notice any of that" he shrugs. "But if he wants something with Hanna, I'll be more than okay with that, I can't stand Jordan"

Spencer "You are definitely blind… just last night, at Ali's, they were all over each other the whole time… I think it will be weird for Caleb to come tonight"

Toby "Well, I don't care, I'm inviting him anyway… he can't stay in that hotel room on a Friday night"

* * *

Well, I'm just going to say that you don't have to worry about Jordan being around, it's just to make Hanna make up her mind... and... and... and... we are only a couple of chapters away from the first kiss :)

Thank you so much for your nice reviews guys! I hope I'm not teasing you too much haha.


	12. Chapter 12

That evening.

Caleb is already at Toby's, he's in the backyard with him and Ezra when he starts to hear a barking that sounds very familiar to him, so he walks toward the open sliding doors of the kitchen, where he stands at. He gets to see that Chocolate is barking non-stop at a man that he assumes it's Jordan, since Hanna is standing next to him while taking some bottles of wine from a bag that she brought and placing them on the kitchen countertop.

Jordan "I told you, we should have left him at your house"

Hanna "No, he loves coming here, he will calm down when he-" she stops talking abruptly because she looks up and spots Caleb. "Hey" she says and shoots him a smile. "Chocolate, look who's there"

Caleb "Hey" he only says and the dog who was too focused on monitoring Jordan to notice Caleb's presence, rushes toward him now and starts to greet him excitedly. "Hi, buddy" he greets him back while stroking his fur.

Hanna "I told you he was friendly" she smiles at Jordan. "Oh, babe, this is Caleb" she says, introducing him, then she looks at Caleb. "Caleb, this is Jordan"

Jordan "Nice to meet you, Caleb" he approaches him to shake hands, but Chocolate stands between him and Caleb, not letting Jordan get too close to him, so he backs down.

Caleb grins, he definitely loves that dog. "It's okay" he tells Jordan. "Nice to meet you too"

They all go out to the backyard where Chocolate goes greet Ezra and Toby as excitedly as he greeted Caleb.

Jordan "Seems like he only hates me" he says at seeing Chocolate's excitement.

Hanna "That's not true, he doesn't hate you, he just doesn't know you… allow him some time"

After they greet the guys, Hanna and Jordan go back inside with the girls and Chocolate stays with Caleb.

/

Jordan pours glasses of wine for all the girls but Spencer, of course, before he pours one for himself and goes sit next to Hanna on the couch.

Jordan "So, how far along are you?" he asks Spencer.

Spencer "Only two months..."

Jordan nods and takes a sip of wine.

Spencer "You and Hanna can still catch up with us, Toby and I are only two months ahead" she adds and almost makes Jordan spit the wine back into the glass.

Jordan "We have to get married first… we want to make things right" he takes Hanna's hand.

Alison "You don't really need to be married to have children"

Jordan "I know, I didn't mean it that way, what I meant to say is that we have a wedding to plan first"

Alison "No, you said that you wanted to make things right"

Emily elbows Alison at the same time as Hanna gives her a death glare.

Jordan "I'm sorry, I guess I didn't choose the right words" he apologizes.

Spencer smiles at him. "It's okay"

Aria "Ezra and I are planning to get married first as well… and take a long trip around the world before we have kids" she says, trying to lighten up the situation.

Jordan's phone starts to ring. "Excuse me, ladies" he says as he stands up and he answers the call on his way to the kitchen.

Hanna "Thank you, Ali" she says with annoyance when her fiancée is gone.

Alison "What? I didn't do anything"

Hanna rolls her eyes.

Spencer "Why don't we better go outside with the guys?"

Aria "Yeah, let's go…"

They pass by the kitchen, where Jordan is, on their way out, so when Hanna passes by his side, he grabs her arm, stopping her.

Hanna turns to him.

Jordan "Hold on a second, George" he says on the phone. "Han, I need to make a video call… it's something important, where can I go?" he whispers to her.

Hanna "Do you really need to do it right now?" she asks, a little frustrated. "We are with my friends, I thought-"

Jordan cuts her off. "Not now, Hanna"

Hanna sighs. "Go back to the living room, we are going outside anyway"

Jordan nods and leaves the kitchen while talking on his phone.

When Hanna goes out to the backyard, her friends are already sitting and chatting and although there are many seats where she could go sit down, she walks toward Caleb and without thinking, she sits on his lap, catching him off guard. And he instinctively wraps one of his arms around her, without thinking either, just as naturally as Hanna just chose him as seat. Alison notices that and she gives Emily an amused smile, making her aware of it too. And Spencer and Toby exchange glances too.

Hanna "He calmed down" she says to Caleb while staring at Chocolate who is lying on the ground next to them.

Caleb "Yeah…" he just says and takes a sip of beer.

Hanna "May I?"

Caleb nods and hands her his glass. Hanna takes a long sip of beer and then hands the glass back to him.

Caleb "You okay?"

Hanna "Yeah" she gives him a slight smile and then turns to look at Toby "Hey, Tob, how long until dinner is ready? I'm starving" she asks, interrupting the group talk.

Toby laughs. "I just started, Han… it'll take like another hour"

Hanna "Oh"

Spencer "Want some snacks?"

Hanna "No, it's okay" she says as she takes her hand to Caleb's nape and starts to play with his short strands of hair, absent-minded.

Ezra "Where's Jordan?"

Hanna "He's in the house, making a video call… he'll be right back"

The group keep chatting, they joke and laugh as always and everyone has an active participation, except for Hanna who is too quiet and that's not normal in her at all.

Hanna "Hey, Spence, can I borrow one of your sweaters? I'm getting a little cold" she says at some point.

Spencer "Sure, go take one from my closet"

Caleb "It's okay, take my hoodie, it's right here" he takes his hoodie from the backrest of the chair where they are sitting and hands it to her.

Hanna "Thanks" she gives him a smile and puts his hoodie on.

Caleb "You look really good in my clothes" he says, completely out of the blue, starting a conversation between them, ignoring the group conversation about Aria's and Ezra's next trip that the rest is having.

Hanna grins but doesn't say anything.

Caleb "Why are you so quiet?"

Hanna "I'm not"

Caleb "Yes, you are"

Hanna "Well, there's no reason, I guess I'm just quiet… do you think it's going to rain tonight?" she says while looking up to the sky, changing the subject.

Caleb "Maybe… it's kind of cloudy and not so hot as other nights…"

Hanna "I hope it doesn't break a storm…"

Caleb "Why?"

Hanna "I don't want Chocolate to get scared… it's enough with him not liking Jordan, he's already driving him crazy"

Caleb laughs.

Hanna "It's not funny"

Caleb "Yeah, it actually is kind of funny"

Hanna rolls her eyes at him, but he places a kiss on her cheek.

Caleb "It's okay, he needs some time to get used to him… and if not, he will just get tired of barking at some point"

Hanna "I hope so"

Caleb "Anyway, don't worry about storms, he doesn't get scared anymore"

Hanna looks at him surprised. "Really?"

Caleb nods. "Uh huh"

Hanna "How did you do that?"

Caleb shrugs. "I did nothing… he was frightened at first, but then it was less and less, and now he just ignores them…"

Hanna "Wow, that's great"

Jordan comes out from the house and approaches them.

Jordan "Han…" he says, bringing her attention to him.

Hanna looks up at him.

Jordan "Can I use your phone? Mine is running out of battery and I need to make another call"

Hanna "Yeah, it's in my purse, I think I left it on the couch…"

Jordan "Can you come with me?"

Hanna nods and stands up from Caleb's lap. She goes back to the living room with Jordan, grabs her phone from her purse and hands it to him.

Jordan "Thanks"

When Hanna turns around to go back outside, Jordan stops her.

Jordan "Wait"

Hanna turns back around to look at him.

Jordan "Sit on a chair this time" he says as he takes Hanna's phone to his ear.

Hanna "What?"

Jordan "And please, give that hoodie back to Caleb" he adds.

Hanna "I won't, I'm cold"

Jordan "Then ask Spencer for a jacket, or stay in the house… shit, why can't I communicate with George? What's wrong with your phone?"

Hanna "Oh… I blocked him" she says, feeling a little guilty.

Jordan "You blocked him?"

Hanna "Yeah… just let me unblock him, it's fine" she says while taking her phone from his hand.

Jordan "You just blocked my friend? You are always driving me nuts about how bad you want me to get along with your friends but you still block my best friend on your phone?"

Hanna "Don't make such a big deal of this. He was driving me crazy the other day, that's why I blocked him… he also cussed me out for not going to that stupid dinner last week, thanks for asking before getting mad, by the way" she says and hands her phone back to him.

Jordan sighs. "He did?"

Hanna nods.

Jordan "OK, let's talk about this later" he says, slowing down.

Hanna "Whatever"

Jordan "Please, take off that hoodie" he repeats again as she walks away.

/

Hanna gets back to the backyard and approaches Caleb. She takes off his hoodie and hands it to him.

Caleb "Keep it, it's okay"

Hanna "I'm no longer cold"

Caleb "Yeah, because you were inside, you are gonna get cold again"

Hanna "I'm fine, just take it already" she says firmly this time.

Caleb finally takes the hoodie from her hand and hangs it back on the chair backrest. Hanna goes sit down on a chair next to Alison.

Alison "Is everything okay?"

Hanna "Yeah" she gives her a forced slight smile, but her eyes are glassy and Alison notices it.

Alison "Toby says that dinner will be ready soon" she says, choosing not to push her.

Hanna "Great"

Hanna falls silent while pretending to listen Toby's funny anecdote about a drunk teen that he and another police officer intervened a few nights ago. Some minutes later, Jordan finally comes out from the house and approaches her. He stands behind her chair, leans forward and wraps his arms around her shoulders.

Jordan "I'm sorry" he whispers in her ear and presses a few kisses on her cheek.

And once again, Chocolate stands up from where he's lying next to Caleb and goes bark at Jordan until he releases Hanna and straightens up.

Alison "Someone is very jealous" she says and chuckles. "And he's not the only one" she adds, staring at Caleb whose face has become very serious unlike seconds ago when he was laughing along with the group, but this time she says it low enough so that only Emily hears it.

Hanna "Hey, it's okay, Chocolate" she calms him down. "Sit" she orders him and he obeys although he keeps focused on monitoring Jordan's movements carefully.

Jordan takes a chair and places it next to Hanna's, then he sits down. She reaches out and takes his hand, letting him know that she accepted his apology, and since it's Hanna who took his hand, and not the other way around, Chocolate remains calm this time.

Jordan joins the group talk and Hanna's mood rises a little, but Caleb's lowers and he's the one that becomes quiet now. And although all he wants is to leave, he forces himself to stay, he needs to get used to see Hanna with Jordan if he wants to keep being friends with her. She's not his girl.

/

Later.

Hanna and Jordan are in the car on their way back to Hanna's house.

Jordan "OK, go take Chocolate inside and pack your stuff, I'll wait for you here, he'll start to bark at me again if I go with you" he says while parking the car at the driveway.

Hanna "What? Where are we going?"

Jordan "To The Radley, babe"

Hanna "Why? I thought you would stay here, they are just a couple of nights, stay here, at my place"

Jordan "It's your mother's house, and she doesn't even know that I am here"

Hanna "It's okay, she's probably already asleep, I'll tell her in the morning, there's no problem, she'll be okay with it, she has invited you to stay here so many times before"

Jordan doesn't answer.

Hanna "Come on, babe…"

Jordan sighs. "Fine, but take Chocolate inside first, I don't want to wake up your mother"

Hanna "Yeah… I'll take him to my room and we can sleep in the guest room…" she says as she gets out of the car.

/

Ten minutes later, Hanna opens the front door and Jordan gets into the house carrying his suitcase. They go upstairs and then to the guest room.

As soon as Hanna closes the door, Jordan traps her against the door and starts to kiss her.

Hanna kisses him back but only for a few seconds before she moves her mouth away from his. "We need to talk first"

Jordan "About what?" he says as he kisses her neck.

Hanna "About what happened tonight"

Jordan releases her from his grip and Hanna goes sit on the bed.

Jordan "Fine… let's talk, tell me what's going on with George" he says as he puts his phone to charge.

Hanna "I already told you, he was an ass to me the other day, and then he tried to call me again, I just blocked him, it's no big deal"

Jordan "Okay, I'll talk to him, but try to understand him, his job is really stressful, he was probably upset and he just took out his anger on you, which is not right, I know it, but try to be patient with him, he's got a bad temper"

Hanna shrugs. "I don't care, I'll just ignore him"

Jordan "Okay, but he's my friend"

Hanna "I know"

Jordan goes sit next to her on the edge of the bed.

Hanna "And I don't like you telling me what to do either"

Jordan "Oh, please, I should be the one mad at you for that. You were sitting on that guy's lap, Hanna, and wearing his clothes… you have known him for how long? Two days?"

Hanna "That guy was Caleb and he's my friend, it doesn't matter for how long, and if you didn't want me to sit on his lap, you could have just told me in a good way"

Jordan "Yes, you are right about that, and I already apologized for that when I went back with you… It's okay if you are friends with him, just don't do those things, they don't seem so friendly and they make me look like an idiot"

Hanna sighs. "Fine"

Jordan "Don't be upset" he says and starts to kiss her neck again.

/

Meanwhile.

Caleb is still at Toby's. Everyone has already taken off a while ago and Spencer just went to bed since she couldn't keep herself awake. He's helping Toby to clean the mess after the get-together.

Caleb is in the kitchen finishing loading the dishwasher when Toby comes in from the backyard carrying some empty bottles.

Toby "What's going on between Hanna and you?" he asks just like that, recalling the conversation he had with Spencer that day, while throwing the bottles in the trash can.

Caleb "We are friends"

Toby "Come on, man, what are we? Girls? Just tell me, it's me"

Caleb looks at him now. "Nothing is going on, man. That's the truth… I can't take her out of my mind, that's true too, who wouldn't like her? But we are friends, that's it… nothing but friendship will ever happen between us"

Toby "And why's that?"

Caleb "Because she's about to get married, maybe?"

Toby "Oh, please, you just met Jordan, he's not for Hanna"

Caleb "Well, she doesn't think the same"

Toby "Okay, forget about Jordan's existence for a second… Would you try something with Hanna?"

Caleb "Of course I would… we always find an excuse to hang out together, it's not just me, I think she likes spending time with me too, we have spent days together, even nights… but that's all…"

Toby "Wow" he says, realizing how right Spencer was about what she told him. "Then fuck Jordan, dude! Make a move there already"

Caleb "No, what I need to do right now is just the opposite, I need to slow it down before it gets out of my control"

Toby "Oh, come on, what can you lose?"

Caleb "Hanna"

Toby laughs. "You can't lose what you don't have"

Caleb "She's my friend at least… besides, I have nothing to give her… I haven't had one single normal relationship, I suck at it… I can't ask her for anything because I have nothing to give her. It would be way different if she wasn't in such a serious relationship, even if the guy is an idiot, she chose him. What if I make her ruin that because of me and then we don't work either? On top of that, she never gave me one single sign that she wanted something other than a friendship with me"

Toby "Don't be such a pussy, worst case scenario you get your face slapped"

Caleb "Yeah, I wish it were that simple, I wouldn't mind getting a slap… I just don't want to lose her… or Chocolate"

Toby laughs. "Even Chocolate doesn't like Jordan for Hanna"

Caleb laughs too this time. "Yeah"

Toby "I hope he's cockblocking the guy right now"

Caleb stops laughing. "Hey! Thanks for bringing that thought to my mind"

Toby laughs again and goes back to the backyard. And Caleb can't stop thinking what Hanna could be doing in that moment. He surely knows what he would be doing himself if he were in Jordan's place.

/

Meanwhile. (Back at Hanna's)

Jordan is on top of Hanna. "Han, I'm coming" he says, out of breath, while thrusting into her.

Hanna "Okay, just let me go on top and-" she starts to say but right then, she feels Jordan throb inside of her as he speeds up his pace… and that's when she just gives up and does her best to fake an orgasm.

He moves away from her and collapses next to her on the mattress. After catching his breath, he gets closer to her and places a peck on her lips. Hanna gives him a smile.

Hanna "What are we going to do?" she suddenly asks.

Jordan "About what?"

Hanna "About us… our lives" she says a little concerned.

Jordan smiles. "We should focus on this weekend together for now… what do you want to do tomorrow?"

Hanna "I don't know, are you working tomorrow too? Just like you did tonight?"

Jordan "Are we seriously doing this all over again?"

Hanna "I don't want to fight, I just think it is something we should discuss"

Jordan "Han… you met me like this, I already worked this much when we started dating, this is who I am… why are you so demanding now? You asked me to come here, and here I am…"

Hanna "Yeah, but you are not fully here… I just want to have you all for me one day, is it too much to ask?"

Jordan "Okay, I'm not using my phone tomorrow"

Hanna smiles widely. "Really?"

Jordan nods.

Hanna gets on top of him and starts to kiss him again… but when she lowers her hand and moves it to his crotch, he stops her.

Jordan "Babe… we should go to sleep, I'm tired"

Hanna "Okay…" she says shyly and lies down back next to him.

Jordan "Good night, Han" he places a soft kiss on her lips.

Hanna "Night" she says and turns off the bedside lamp.

* * *

Thanks for your reviews guys! I hope you like this chapter despite of those parts with Jordan... even when he's around, Haleb is still there! And they can't help being close :) Anyway, I'm very positive you will love next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

Monday.

After having spent the whole weekend with Jordan, now that he's gone, Hanna is meeting up with her friends. They are getting together at Spencer's.

She drives past Caleb's house before she parks in front of Spencer's and she sees a few men working on the outside of the house, but she doesn't get to see Caleb.

Hanna and Caleb haven't heard from each other during all weekend long. Caleb has focused his energy on the house and has been working hard on it, forcing himself not to talk to Hanna or even text her, trying to slow things down just like he told Toby he would. Even if that meant that he wouldn't see Chocolate during the weekend either. Seeing Hanna with Jordan has only made him fall into reality, all those days that they spent together, weren't real, it was just a fantasy. She won't stay in Rosewood for much longer, and the only reason why she spent that much of time with him was probably because everyone else was busy with their lives and the only one available twenty-four seven was him, not that they didn't have great times together, that part was real, but Caleb knows it won't be like that forever and he doesn't want to keep fooling himself. If he wants to stay friends with Hanna and keep her in his life, he needs to try having a realistic friendship with her, instead of sticking around her all the time.

All the effort he made during the weekend to cool things off with Hanna goes out the window the second he sees her stepping into his house.

Hanna "Hey" she greets him while taking her sunglasses off. "You didn't show up during all weekend long, how are you doing?"

Caleb can't help smiling. He lays the screwdriver that he is holding in his hand on a ladder and approaches her. "Hey… I'm well, you?"

Hanna "I'm pretty good" she smiles. "I'm getting together with the girls at Spencer's, but I saw the door open and I had to come say hi to you… I've missed you, why didn't you even come pick Chocolate up?"

Caleb "I didn't want to bother you, you were busy" he says and shrugs. He reminds himself to keep his distance, he ignores that I-have-missed-you part and takes it just as a set phrase.

Hanna "Oh, please… you should have texted me"

Caleb "I've been working hard on the house anyway… I didn't have the time" he says and goes take a duct tape from the toolbox on the floor next to him, sticking back to his plan to keep some distance from her. "I'm planning to move back in here tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, ground floor is almost ready, and I can stay here until I finish the first floor, which will take another week, or two…" he climbs on the ladder and gets back to fix an electrical connection.

Hanna "Oh… Okay, then…" she says and stands there for a while before she realizes that Caleb is too focused on his duty to pay attention to her. "Well… I'll be here next, at Spencer's… I didn't bring Chocolate with me, but let me know if you want to see him sometime"

Caleb "Yeah, I will… I don't want to bring him here, there's a lot of stuff all over the house, I don't want him to get hurt, but I guess I can take him out for a walk tomorrow" he tells her, still focused on what he's doing.

Hanna "As you like" she just says and leaves.

/

Hanna rings the doorbell at Spencer's and Emily answers the door.

Emily "Guess what?" she says amused.

Hanna "What?"

Emily "You are the last one to arrive again"

Hanna rolls her eyes at her and makes her way to the living room where the rest of her friends are hanging.

Hanna "Hey, guys" she greets them and they greet her back as she goes have seat on the couch. "How are you feeling, Spence?"

Spencer "Like hell… I throw up everything I eat"

Aria "Hey, it will get better"

Hanna "Yeah, you just need to get past the first trimester"

Spencer "I hope so"

Alison comes from the kitchen carrying a tray with coffee and tea. "Babe, can you go get the pie?" she says to Emily and then she looks at Hanna. "Hey, Han!"

Hanna "Hi, Ali" she gives her a smile.

Alison "How was your weekend with Jordan?"

Hanna "It was perfect" she says, but she doesn't sound so excited.

Alison "Tell that to your face, then" she says while sitting next to her.

But Hanna ignores her and turns her gaze to Spencer.

Hanna "Have you seen Caleb today?"

Spencer "Yeah, he came for Toby's drill this morning, why?"

Hanna "I just stopped by at his place to say hi… he seemed weird…"

Spencer "Well, he was alright this morning"

Hanna "Maybe he's mad at me or something, he didn't even see Chocolate during the weekend either"

Alison "Maybe he's not mad, maybe something else is happening to him"

Hanna "You know something?" she asks Alison.

Spencer "I think he likes you, Han… like he's really into you" she just says, casually, but everyone turns their glances at her.

Alison "Finally someone else notices it!"

Emily "Hey, I told you the same the other day" she says while getting back with a lemon pie, having overheard the conversation.

Spencer chuckles. "Toby noticed it too… eventually, I kind of had to open his eyes first"

Hanna "What? You all have been talking about this?"

Aria "I didn't" she says and raises her hands.

Hanna "Well, you all are wrong, Caleb doesn't like me that way" she says firmly and crosses her arms over her chest. "And I'm engaged to Jordan. Stop talking bullshit behind my back" she adds annoyed.

Alison "No one talked bullshit behind your back. And yes, you are engaged to Jordan, but you are dating Caleb as well, no kisses, no sex, but you still are dating him, Hanna, just open your eyes already!"

Hanna "I'm not dating, Caleb! We are friends, just like I am friends with Toby and Ezra"

Alison "Well, yes, and you share bed with them too?"

Spencer "You slept with Caleb?" she asks surprised.

Aria "I don't want you to be friends with Ezra that way" she jokes, trying to lighten up the situation, like she always does when her friends' strong temperaments collide. But she fails since Hanna gives Alison a death glare.

Hanna "Thank you Alison" she says, still annoyed.

Spencer "What happened between you and Caleb?"

Hanna sighs. She gives up. "Nothing, I just stayed in his room at the Radley one night, last week… but it's no big deal… and it wasn't the first time I shared a bed with him, he stayed in my house too" she confesses now, since Alison ratted on her to her friends anyway.

Spencer "Han! And you still tell us that nothing is going on with Caleb after that?" she says in a warm voice.

Hanna "Nothing happened… if Caleb liked me that way, he would have made a move on me, or something… but he didn't, he is not into me"

Emily "I think he is, Han…" she says softly.

Alison "Why would we lie to you? We are being honest with you, from our point of view, there's something between you two… I didn't talk to Spencer about this and even so, she came to the same conclusion"

Hanna stands up from her seat and walks toward the door.

Emily "Where are you going?"

Hanna "I'm going to talk to Caleb, I'll ask him myself"

Spencer "Don't!"

Alison "Don't go talk to him"

Hanna "Why?" she asks confused.

Alison "Because you will only hurt him"

Spencer "Yeah, she's right, what are you going to do if he tells you that he does have feelings for you?"

Hanna sighs. She knows her friends are right, so she goes back to sit next to Alison.

Hanna "You really think he has feelings for me, Spence?"

Spencer only nods.

Hanna "Shit… what am I gonna do?"

Spencer "You like him too, don't you?"

Hanna doesn't answer.

Alison "Yes, you do"

Hanna "No"

Emily "Come on, we are your friends"

Hanna "I don't know… I'm confused"

It's all that she says and falls silent. She didn't even admit it to herself and now she's suddenly talking about that with her friends.

Alison "Please, Hanna, just be honest with yourself for once!"

Emily "Hey, slow down" she tells her girlfriend.

Hanna looks at Alison. "I can't be honest with myself because I don't know… I might like Caleb… but I love Jordan" she says, but again, she doesn't sound convinced at all.

Aria who is the only neutral person about the subject in matter, intervenes now. "Hey, Han… it's okay if you are confused, we aren't sure about everything all the time… but don't keep it all on mute, talk to us, maybe we can help you…"

Hanna "Fine… I kind of feel things… I feel something when Caleb says nice things to me, and the way he hugs me… I like being around him, I like it so much that I kind of missed him this weekend… but that's all… I think I just have a crush on him" when she looks up, all her friends are smiling. "Stop smiling, you all! This is no good, I already have my life planned with Jordan and I'm not blowing that up just for a crush"

Alison "Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but your life plan isn't going very well so far"

Emily "Alison, please, would you just stop it?"

But Hanna ignores Alison's brutal honesty again and keeps talking. "Jordan and I have had our problems, but this weekend he did everything right, everything I have been waiting for him to do, everything I have been looking forward to… he didn't use his phone as much as always, we went out for breakfast with my mom on Saturday morning, then we went for a drive along the lake, he did his best to get along with Chocolate, he took me out on a date, we had dinner at a very nice restaurant… we also looked for dog-friendly apartments on the internet"

Spencer "Well, so what are you doing about Caleb?"

Hanna sighs. "I don't know… I don't want to hurt him. I guess I'll do nothing, I want things to keep going the same way with him, I don't want to stop seeing him, besides, we are assuming that he has feelings for me, but we don't know it for sure"

Spencer "Believe me, he does"

Hanna becomes silent.

Alison "I'm sorry if I was too hard on you… I just wanted to help"

Hanna gives her a slight smile. "It's okay… let's just talk about something else…"

/

When Hanna leaves Spencer's house later that day, she considers stopping by at Caleb's again, but she decides against it and goes straight to her place.

Next day, she receives a text from Caleb asking her if it would be okay that he went pick Chocolate up, and when he shows up at her house, Hanna is surprised that although he smiles at her and treats her as good as always, he still seems distant and doesn't even invite her to go out with him and the dog as he always does. The same thing happens on Wednesday when he goes for Chocolate as well, and although he doesn't show up on Thursday, on Friday it's the same, and when he comes back to drop Chocolate off after their walk, Hanna decides to confront him.

Hanna opens the door and Chocolate makes his way into the house.

Caleb "Well, see you tomorrow, Han" he gives her a smile and turns around.

Hanna "Wait"

Caleb turns back around and looks at her.

Hanna "Tomorrow is Mona's party… are you still coming with me and the girls?"

Caleb doubts for a moment.

Hanna "Is everything okay between us? You barely talked to me these last days"

Caleb "Yeah, of course everything's alright… I just have been pretty busy with the house, that's all. But I'm coming with you tomorrow"

Hanna smiles. "Good. I miss you"

Caleb smiles back. "See you tomorrow, Han" he presses a kiss against her cheek and walks away, mentally cursing himself for kissing her cheek after having spent all the week trying not to do that kind of things anymore and keep a distance.

Hanna feels her cheek burn because of that simple brief kiss.

/

It's Saturday and Hanna is doing her make up in the bathroom. She's at Alison's since she had dinner there with her and Emily, and now they are getting ready for the party. She's feeling nervous about hanging out with Caleb again, she doesn't know what to expect, but she truly misses him and wants them to go back to normal and be comfortable around each other just like they were a week ago. She can't believe that just a little more than a week ago, they were at that same house, in the kitchen, so close to each other and so good. And the hug that they shared that night now means a lot more. Now that her friends made her aware of Caleb's possible feelings for her, she can't stop thinking what could have happened if Emily hadn't interrupted them that day, would he have kissed her? But there is another part of her that isn't so sure about it all, a part of her that keeps telling her that Caleb was just being friendly and that she may be reading it wrong, and that his hugs weren't more than just hugs.

Alison gets into the bathroom, interrupting her thoughts. "Caleb's here… hurry up!"

Hanna "I'm almost done"

Alison "Okay… I'll go put my shoes on"

Hanna comes out from the bathroom and finds Alison sitting on the edge of her bed. "Do I look okay?" she asks, a little unsure.

Alison chuckles. "You are flawless, Han… as always"

Hanna gives her a smile.

Hanna is wearing a very short tube skirt and a short leather top that leaves a few inches of bare skin between its edge and the skirt. She's all in black except for her lips that are covered with a burgundy matte lipstick.

They go to the living room where Emily and Caleb are waiting for them.

As soon as Caleb catches sight of Hanna, he becomes breathless. She looks so damn good, like a top model out of a fashion magazine.

Hanna "Hey, Caleb" she greets him, a little shyly.

Caleb "Hi" he only says and places a quick kiss on her cheek.

Emily "Okay, let's get going already"

They get out of the house.

Alison "I'll go in my car" she says as she closes the door of her house.

Caleb "You sure? We all can go in mine, I don't mind taking you home after the party"

Alison "No, it's okay… I'm sure Emily will want to leave early anyway"

Emily smiles.

Caleb chuckles. "Okay"

Hanna "I'll go with you" she tells Caleb. If she wants them to go back to normal, she needs to cut the awkwardness.

Caleb "Good" he gives her a smile that makes her feel more sure. "Let's go, then"

/

Hanna and Caleb are already in his car.

Hanna "My mom told me that you left the Radley" she tries to make some conversation as he starts the car.

Caleb "Yeah, I moved back to my house on Thursday, that's why I didn't go see Chocolate that day"

Hanna "Oh" she only says.

Caleb "Want to play some music?"

Hanna "Sure" she says and reaches out to turn on the stereo.

Caleb "Take my phone, it's already connected"

Hanna "Okay"

They are quiet for the rest of the drive, only the music sounds in the car, except for when Hanna gives Caleb some directions to get to the place of the party.

After he parks the car at the parking lot, they walk toward where the loud music comes from. There's a lot of people dancing and having drinks in the party area surrounded by the woods. There are several tables placed around with different types of drinks and snacks for the guests to serve themselves but there's also a large bar placed there on the side where three bartenders are serving drinks as well. Hanna spots another table full of presents.

Hanna "Let's go take this there" she says to Caleb and they approach the table where Hanna places her present for Mona.

Caleb "This is such a big party"

Hanna "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Mona doesn't even know half the people here… I should go look for her and say hi"

Caleb nods.

Hanna "Let's go"

Caleb "I'm actually going for a drink and see if I can find Alison and Emily when they arrive as well"

Hanna "Okay, then…"

Caleb "Want me to get you a drink as well?"

Hanna "No, thanks, I'm good" she says and Caleb walks away. She feels like he just got rid of her but tries not to overthink it and pushes the thought to the back of her mind.

But Caleb doesn't get so far before he sees a guy walk past him toward where Hanna is, he recognizes this guy, it's Sean.

Sean "Hanna! I wasn't expecting to see you here"

Caleb overhears him and decides to stay close, just in case.

Hanna "Hey, Sean"

Sean "You look amazing"

Hanna "Thanks… have you seen Mona?" she changes the subject.

Sean "No, but I can help you find her"

Hanna "No, it's fine, I'll just-"

Sean cuts her off. "Let's go for a drink then"

Hanna "I'm good, thanks"

Sean "Oh, come on, we are at a party"

Hanna "I just want to go say hi to Mona"

Sean "Okay, I'm coming with you"

Caleb approaches them and stands by Hanna's side. "Hey… Sean, right?" he asks as he takes Hanna's hand and intertwines their fingers.

Sean "Hey… yeah, that's me, and you are…?"

Hanna "Caleb" she answers for him.

Caleb "I'm her date" he adds and smiles. "And this is the second time you are interrupting one of our dates"

Sean "Well, sorry, but this is a party, just in case you didn't notice… go date somewhere else if you don't want to be disturbed" he says and raises his eyebrows.

Caleb "Yeah, and you go find some other girl to take to that 505 room at the Radley" he says amused, letting him know that he knows about the texts that he has been sending to Hanna.

Sean shrugs and walks away.

Hanna laughs and looks at Caleb. "Thanks for that"

Caleb smiles amused. "You are welcome… it was fun"

Hanna smiles again. "Yeah, it definitely was" she says and squeezes their still joined hands.

Caleb lets go of her hand as soon as he becomes aware of that he's still holding it. "Well, I'll go for my drink now" he says and walks away just like that, leaving Hanna alone again and confused by his odd behavior. Just when she thought they were getting back to normal, he walks away from her again.

/

Only a few minutes later, Hanna finds Mona chatting with a couple of girls. Mona leaves them behind as soon as she spots Hanna approaching.

Mona "Han! Long time no see!" she goes hug her friend. "How have you been? You look so good" she says excited.

Hanna "Hey! Happy birthday, Mona! Thanks, you look beautiful too" she says kindly as they pull away from the hug.

Mona "Did you come alone?"

Hanna "Oh, no… I came with Caleb, he's over there, you already met him the other day" she says and looks past Mona where Caleb is standing next to the bar. He is using his phone and he has a drink in his other hand. "And Alison and Emily came to the party as well"

Mona "What a hottie you brought to my party!" she says while checking Caleb out. "What about Jordan? You dumped him already?"

Hanna "Of course not" she raises her hand and shows her ring to her. "Caleb's my friend"

Mona "So… he's single?" she grins while staring at him.

Hanna "No" the word drops from her mouth before she can even process it.

Mona "Oh, that's a pity" she says and looks back at Hanna. "Let's go get you a drink"

/

Hanna has been chatting with Mona for more than half an hour now. They are standing aside while having drinks. But Hanna has been pretending to listen to Mona when in fact what she is doing is scanning the place with her eyes, looking for Caleb as she nods and gives Mona short answers every so often.

Hanna "Do you mind if I go look for Caleb? He knows no one at the party and I left him alone" she tells her at some point.

Mona "Sure, no problem… I'll just go look for Noel"

Hanna "Are you hooking up with Noel Kahn?" she asks amused.

Mona smiles proudly. "Maybe"

/

Hanna is relieved to find Caleb hanging with Alison and Emily. But before she can make it to where they are, someone approaches Caleb and hands him a drink. It's a blonde girl with a familiar face, but she can't remember her name or even where she knows her from. Hanna approaches them anyway.

Alison "Hey, here you are" she tells Hanna.

Hanna "Yeah, I was with Mona"

Alison "This is Sabrina, Han… do you remember her? She's a friend of Emily"

Hanna "Oh, yeah… hi" she greets her although she really doesn't remember her.

Sabrina "Hi, Hanna" she greets her back, smiling, and then she turns back to Caleb. "So, where did you say you were from?" she smiles at Caleb now.

Caleb "Many places" he just says, as always, and smiles back. "But I've been living in Allentown during the last year before I moved here"

Sabrina "And why did you move to Rosewood?" she asks, going on with their conversation.

Hanna realizes that she's staring at them and listening to the conversation so she turns her gaze to Alison and although she wants to say something, anything, to pretend that she doesn't feel the knot in the throat that she is feeling, no words come out from her mouth.

Alison "Let's go dance" she takes Hanna's and Emily's hands and drags them to the center where some other people are dancing.

Hanna does her best to force herself to dance with her friends… but she also takes a look toward Caleb every so often, she can't help it. She manages to keep herself together for half an hour but when she takes another look toward Caleb and finds him laughing out loud along with Sabrina, her jealousy gets the best of her and she stops dancing.

Hanna "I'll go for another drink" she suddenly says and walks away from her friends.

Emily looks at Alison. "We should go stop that now, Hanna has had enough already" she says while staring at Caleb who is still chatting with Sabrina.

Alison "What? No, my plan is going perfectly well"

Emily "Your plan? Ali, please! You introduced them just to make Hanna jealous and you already got that, so now go and stop it"

Alison "Just chill, babe" she says and wraps her arms around Emily "it's fine" she shushes Emily with a kiss.

/

One hour later.

Hanna is sitting on a couch at the sitting area. She has been there for the last hour because she can't see Caleb and Sabrina from there and she just wants to get distracted and forget about that. She keeps repeating to herself that Caleb can do whatever he wants. She also considered getting drunk in order to make it easier for her to handle whatever she is feeling, whatever is making her upset, and go back to party, but she only managed to drink half of her glass. She's about to stand up and go look for Alison and Emily and ask them to take her home when someone shows up and sits next to her on the couch.

Sean "Hey, babe"

Hanna sighs. "You again? Don't call me babe"

Sean "Okay, beautiful" he says and laughs.

Hanna rolls her eyes at him.

Sean "Are you having a bad night?"

Hanna "No"

Sean "Doesn't seem so… anyway, I can make it better" he says and places his palm on her bare thigh. He's already drunk, and Hanna knows it.

Hanna "How many times do I need to reject you before you get that I don't want anything with you again?" she says but he doesn't move his hand away.

Sean "We both know that's not true" he starts to rub his thumb on her skin as he gets closer to her. "Come on, we had great times together… you know you want me"

Hanna "Shit, Sean, don't you get that I am with someone else?" she says and finally stands up from the couch.

Sean "You mean Caleb?" he asks and bursts into laughter. "Sorry to break it to you, but he went into the woods with some other blonde girl a while ago… and we know what happens in the woods… she must be giving him head right now"

Hanna "He what?" she asks as her eyes get filled by tears.

Sean "Just what you heard, babe" he tells her and stands up from the couch as well. "I'll be over here if you change your mind" he winks at her.

Hanna's tears start to roll down her cheeks and she just wants to disappear from there, but the place is full of people, so she just turns around and walks into the woods, looking for a quiet place to be alone. Sean watches her walk away, but he's too drunk to follow her and he doesn't care that much either.

/

An hour later.

Alison and Emily are making out against a tree, but at some point, Emily pulls away from her.

Alison "What happens? Wanna go home already?" she asks her and starts to kiss her neck.

Emily "Yeah…" she says, completely turned on, but she pulls away from Alison. "But we should go look for Hanna first"

Alison "Okay, let's go… she must be with Mona" she says as they walk back to the crowded area of the party.

Caleb approaches them. "Hey, have you seen Hanna? It's been a while since last time I saw her around"

Alison "No, but we think she's with Mona"

Caleb "She's not with Mona… I've been looking for her, I thought she was with you, guys"

Emily "Did you call her on her phone?"

Caleb "Yeah, but she's not answering"

Alison "Okay, let's split up… she has to be around here"

Caleb "Okay, I'll keep looking for her, just give me a call if you find her first"

Alison nods and Caleb walks away.

Emily "If something happens to her, it's your fault"

Alison "My fault? I did nothing"

Emily "Yes, you did. I'm sure she left, she was jealous as fuck, you went too far with your stupid plan, I told you not to meddle"

Alison "Too far? I just introduced Caleb a gay girl!"

Emily "Hanna doesn't know she's gay, Ali!"

/

Some minutes later, Caleb is still looking for Hanna when he spots Sean chatting with a girl by the bar and he doesn't hesitate to go and confront him.

Caleb "Have you seen Hanna?" he goes straight to the point, no wasting time in bullshit.

Sean smiles amused. "Maybe" he shrugs and lets out a drunken laughter.

Caleb "Just tell me where she is, I have no time for your shit"

Sean "Hey, slow down, dude… chill, have a drink"

Caleb's patience runs out and before he realizes it, he's grabbing Sean by the collar of his shirt. "Where the fuck is Hanna?"

Sean "I don't know, man… I don't know where she is, she just went into the woods"

Caleb releases him. "With who?"

Sean "Alone… she went in that direction" he points with his finger.

Caleb starts walking in the direction that Sean just told him, he goes into the woods and doesn't walk too much before he spots Hanna sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree, her back to him.

Caleb "Han, what are you doing here alone?" he asks and sits down next to her on the trunk, that's when he hears her very soft sobs.

Hanna looks up at him, her face full of tears, and Caleb wraps his arms around her right away. He pulls her close to him.

Caleb "What happened, Han? What's wrong?"

She doesn't answer. She doesn't know what to tell him.

Caleb "Did Sean say or do something to you?"

Hanna "No"

Caleb "Did you have a fight with Jordan?"

Hanna "No"

Caleb "Okay, what's it, then? Why are you crying?"

Hanna looks away. "I'm crying for you" she finally says.

Caleb takes one of his hands to her cheek and makes her look at him. "For me? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you somehow?" he asks really concerned, confused, and very surprised too.

Hanna shakes her head. "You did nothing wrong. It's me" she rests her cheek on his shoulder, avoiding his look again, she can't look at him.

Caleb "I don't get it"

Hanna "I'm confused"

Caleb "About?"

Hanna "You"

Caleb feels all his inside burn at her answer. "About me?"

Hanna "Uh huh" she says and finally makes eye contact with him when she pulls away from his embrace and sits up straight. She wipes her tears off her face. "But don't worry, I'm okay… I just needed a time alone, that's why I came here… go back to the party, I'm sure Sabrina is waiting for you"

Caleb "What do you mean by confused?"

Hanna "Nothing, just go, please"

Caleb "I'm not going anywhere"

Hanna "Come on, we both know there's somewhere else where you want to be right now, it's okay, go have fun" she says and looks away again.

Caleb remains silent while trying to understand what's going on. "Are you jealous?" he asks with an amused smile on his face some seconds later.

Hanna looks back at him. "I'm not. Stop smiling like that, it's not fun"

Caleb gets it now. He understands now what she meant by being confused before. "Sabrina is gay, Han… we were just talking and then I walked her to her car, she left a while ago"

Hanna "She's gay?" she asks surprised.

Caleb nods and gives her a smile. "Now can we go back to the part where you are confused?" he asks and takes her hand.

Hanna looks down to the ground in front of her. "It's just that… I'm confused"

Caleb "You have feelings for me?" he asks, trying to get a more specific answer from her.

Hanna "I'm confused" she says again.

There's a silence after that. And Hanna is the one who breaks it some seconds later.

Hanna "Do you have feelings for me?"

Caleb "Yeah, I do" he says, sounding very sure, and squeezes their joined hands. And his simple answer makes Hanna's heart skip a beat.

Hanna "And how do you know?" she asks, very curious.

Caleb "I was confused at first too… but now I know… I love spending time with you, time flies when we are together, we laugh most of the time, it's just so natural… and even when we are not laughing, it's great too, I really like talking to you, we have spent hours just talking… I really care about you Han, it seems like I can't stand seeing you cry, I just can't bear it, I feel the need to make you feel better. I never cared for anyone as I do for you… and It also seems like I can't be away from you… that's how I know that I have feelings for you, what else could it all be about?"

Hanna "Then why did you push me away all the week? You should have told me all this"

Caleb "For what? I have nothing to give you, Han. And you already have a life planned with Jordan"

Hanna "Please, let's not talk about Jordan right now"

Caleb "Still… It wasn't fair to you that I told you all this knowing that you were in a relationship"

Hanna "What changed then? Why are you telling me this now?"

Caleb "You just told me that you are confused… I thought it was just me, I didn't want to ruin our friendship, that's why I took a distance from you… I needed to stop all those feelings somehow… but I guess it didn't work… every attempt crumbles as soon as I see you and you shoot me one of those smiles of yours" he takes his free hand to her face, he cups one of her cheeks and caresses her softly with his thumb.

Hanna "I don't have anything to give you either" she says while looking into his eyes, but his eyes are focused on her lips and she notices it. "I can't even give you a clear answer about my feelings right now"

Caleb "I don't care" he looks into her eyes now.

Hanna "I don't want to hurt you"

Caleb "I want to take the risk"

Hanna takes the initiative, she wraps her arms around his neck and moves closer to him, sitting so close to him that their thighs are pressed against each other's. Their faces are closer too now.

Caleb smiles. "You are playing with fire" he says amused, and so close to her mouth that she feels his warm breath.

Hanna smiles back. "Let's burn, then" she jokes back.

With that answer from her, Caleb finally opens his mouth slightly and presses his lips against hers, capturing her lips in between his. They were right, the moment their lips meet, they feel a wave of warm through their bodies, it feels like burning. The kiss starts softly but it grows when Hanna unwraps one of her arms from his neck and moves that hand to his face, she tilts his head to the side and opens her mouth, but before she can push her tongue into his mouth, he pushes his into hers, he's definitely such a great kisser, she thinks right away, as their tongues meet for the first time. Since Hanna's hand remains in his face as she leads the kiss, Caleb moves both his hands to her waist, he rubs his thumbs against her bare skin between her skirt and her top, caressing her softly, and he gets a soft bite on his bottom lip as response. He feels like he can't get enough of her, he needs her closer, on top of that, his neck is starting to hurt and he needs to change position, so he wraps his arms around her and pulls her onto his lap. Now that Hanna is sitting on his lap, her legs are extended to the side, so Caleb keeps one of his arms wrapped around her waist and he places his other hand on her thigh, he starts to run it up and down on her skin, caressing her, without going too up, of course.

At some point, Caleb's phone starts to buzz in his pocket and although Hanna ignores it and keeps kissing him, he pulls away from her after a few seconds.

Caleb "Just a second, Han… I forgot to tell your friends that I had found you… we were looking for you" he explains while trying to get his phone out of his pocket.

Hanna nods and moves a little away so he can reach his phone, and as soon as he gets it, he pulls her back against him and places a kiss on her temple.

Caleb "Hey, Em" he says on the phone while Hanna takes the opportunity to take her mouth to his neck. He bites his bottom lip not to make any noise as he shuts his eyes. "Yeah, I found her, she's with me… I'm sorry, Em, I forgot to call you… yes, I'm taking her home… see you, bye" he ends the call but stays still while enjoying Hanna's open-mouthed kisses all over his neck. She's fucking amazing, he thinks, but he has to make a huge effort and stop her. He takes his hands to each side of her face and gently moves her away from his neck.

Hanna gives him a smile. "So, you are really taking me home?" she narrows her eyes.

Caleb "I didn't say I was taking you to your place… I'm taking you home with me" he says amused while smiling back.

Hanna chuckles and presses a peck on his lips.

Caleb "Only if you want"

Hanna nods and starts another kiss. It's seems like she can't stop kissing him, and Caleb loves it.

* * *

Finally! They kissed haha. I know I made you wait like a lot, but I wanted to take them to a place where their kiss was more than just a consequence of lust, and of course there is also a bit of that, they obviously want each other that way, but they have feelings as well now, and that was necessary especially for Hanna, who just cheated on fucking Jordan by the way LOL.

About the ending, I know it seems like they are about to go fuck at Caleb's place, and I know I already teased you too much, so I want to make it clear that it won't happen yet, not on the next chapter at least. I have a few things in mind before that happens. But don't worry, you will like next chapter anyway, because it's all about them being together, and there are more kisses, of course.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I hope you liked Hanna getting jealous thanks to the one and only Alison. It always amused me the way she manipulated people on the show, and I kind of found a way to use that in a positive way.

Okay, let me know what you think about this update! Bye! xx


	14. Chapter 14

Hanna and Caleb walk back to the party area. They hold hands but Hanna takes her hand away from his as soon as they reach the place. There are far fewer people than before at the party since it's 5 am… time flied for Hanna and Caleb while kissing.

Mona approaches them. "Hey, Han! I thought you had left already… come get your Camp Mona t-shirt" she says, pulling from her arm. "You too, Caleb"

Caleb smiles amused while recalling the comments that their friends made while making fun of Mona's t-shirts.

They get to a table full of t-shirts, pink t-shirts for girls, black ones for men, all of them have a huge "Camp Mona" printed in white letters.

Mona "Okay, this is for you" she tells Hanna while handing her a t-shirt. Then she grabs a black one and hands it to Caleb "And this one is for you" she smiles at him.

Caleb "Thanks" he smiles back.

Mona turns back to Hanna. "Well, thanks for coming, I'm glad you did… let's get together any of these days"

Hanna "Sure" she gives her a smile. "Thanks for inviting us to come, I had a great time… see you around" she says her goodbyes and they head to the parking lot.

Hanna "You don't really have to keep the t-shirt" she tells Caleb while smiling amused, once they get to Caleb's car.

Caleb "Are you kidding? Of course I'll keep it… I love my Camp Mona t-shirt, I'm a fan of Camp Mona"

Hanna laughs out loud. "You are such an idiot"

Caleb "And you are beautiful" he says while trapping her between his arms, against the car, and before she can say something, he's already kissing her again.

Hanna smiles against his lips and wraps her arms around him as she kisses him back. But the kiss only lasts a few seconds, it is not even long enough for their tongues to meet again, because they hear the door of the car next to Caleb's open and they pull away right away.

Hanna is relieved of seeing that it's Sean. From all the people at the party, the car next to Caleb's is Sean's, but she's glad it is, because they already made him believe that they were together, and he has no idea that Hanna is actually engaged to someone else. But the situation only makes Hanna aware of the fact that she should be more careful about what she does in public. She's cheating on Jordan after all.

Fortunately for them, Sean gets into his car without saying a word to them, and they do the same. Caleb gives her another smile before starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot. Hanna takes his phone and plays some music, the drive is quiet, but unlike the drive from Alison's to the party, this is a comfortable silence.

Hanna "Caleb…" she says to him at some point when they get back in the town.

Caleb "Yeah?"

Hanna "I think it would be better if you took me home… I mean, to my mom's" she clarifies, recalling their whose-home conversation at the woods.

Caleb "Okay" he simply says and places his hand on her knee, without taking his eyes off the road, he gives her a squeeze there. He knows that he is already lucky enough for what just happened between them and he can't ask for more, he doesn't want to push her.

Once they get to Hanna's, Caleb parks the car in front of the house.

Caleb "Well, we're here…" he only says, and turns to her, unsure about if he should kiss her goodbye or not.

But Hanna gets close and takes his face in her hands. She places a brief soft kiss on his lips herself. Then she pulls away, releasing his face but she places one of her hands on his forearm and makes eye contact, as if she wanted to say something.

Caleb stares at her, unsure of what's going on. But then he realizes. "You changed your mind?" he smirks.

Hanna smiles, but it's a shy smile. "Kind of…"

Caleb "You know you can come with me"

Hanna "Yeah… I just don't want to… you know" she sighs. "I can't give you any more than I already did right now" she says and looks away.

Caleb "Hey, I won't assume that we are gonna have sex just because you come home with me…" he says, going straight to the point, and takes her hand. "It's me, Han… you know there's room for you in my bed even if nothing happens" he assures her.

Caleb is a lonely man who rarely spends the night with someone, he's not used to that, not even after sex, but somehow, he doesn't feel the same way when it comes to Hanna.

Hanna "You don't mind?"

Caleb shakes his head. "I would love that you stayed with me again" he squeezes her hand.

Hanna "Okay, let's go"

Caleb pecks her lips before turning back to the wheel.

/

Once they get into Caleb's house, Hanna is surprised to find out that the place is just as empty as it was the last time she was there a week ago. There's no furniture in there.

Hanna "I thought you had moved back in here" she says amused.

Caleb "I told you I needed your help to pick the furniture and decorations"

Hanna chuckles. "And where are we sleeping then?"

Caleb grins and takes her hand. "This way" he says and leads her to the living room, and although it's just as empty as the rest of the house, there's a huge king size bed placed in the middle of the room.

Hanna "Well, this is way better than the mattress you had before" she says and lays her purse and their Camp Mona t-shirts on the bed.

Caleb "Yeah… I'll move the bed upstairs in a week. We are still working on the first floor… anyway, make yourself at home" he says and places a kiss on her cheek, but Hanna wraps her arms around his neck before he has the chance to move away and she starts another kiss, a passionate one.

Caleb places his palms on her waist and kisses her back, more than happy to mess with those soft lips of her again, not to mention the amazing feeling of her tongue invading his mouth once more. He still can't believe how his night has turned out, he never imagined that such a thing would happen, first of all, Hanna being jealous of him, then she admitting that she is confused about him, and the icing on the cake, her mind-blowing kisses.

Hanna "We better get ready for bed" she says seconds later when she breaks the kiss.

Caleb "Yeah" he smiles, but he leans forward again and presses his lips against hers a few more times before he finally releases her.

Hanna goes and grabs her Camp Mona t-shirt from the bed, she needs something other than her clothes to wear for bed. But when she takes the garment out from its plastic bag and unfolds it before her, she realizes that it's not even long enough to cover her underwear.

Caleb notices it and hands her his Camp Mona t-shirt. "Use mine, I'm sure it's larger"

Hanna takes it with a smile on her face, he's so thoughtful. "Thank you" she says and then grabs a toothbrush from her purse. "I'll go use the bathroom"

Caleb only nods and she disappears through the hallway.

When she gets back, Caleb is just in boxers and lying on the bed, but not under the covers. Hanna can't help licking her lips at that sight.

Caleb turns his glance toward her. "Now I love my Camp Mona t-shirt even more" he jokes while checking Hanna out from head to toe. The t-shirt barely covers her thighs. She has removed her make-up, and still looks beautiful.

Hanna flushes and smiles, without saying a word, she walks there and lies down on her back next to him.

Caleb rolls over to lie on his stomach and wraps his arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. He also moves his face close to hers and after placing a tender kiss on her cheek, he remains there, resting his cheek on the same pillow, inhaling her rich scent, and he closes his eyes.

Hanna rests her arm on the arm that he keeps wrapped around her waist. She closes her eyes as well and they remain like that for a couple of minutes before all of a sudden, Hanna starts to feel soft kisses on her neck. She instinctively tilts her head to the side where he's placing them.

Caleb chuckles. "It tickles?"

Hanna doesn't answer, she only smiles and tilts her head to the opposite side now, exposing her neck for him. Caleb opens his mouth now and instead of placing pecks on her skin, he changes his strategy and starts to place open-mouthed kisses instead.

Hanna's lips part right then and she lets out a deep breath.

Caleb smiles against her skin. "Better?" he asks between kissing.

Caleb places a few more kisses there before lifting his chest from the mattress, and holding his weight up on his free arm, he leans over her and connects his lips to hers in a sweet slow kiss. Hanna takes her free hand to his nape while kissing back. And then again, the kiss grows and gets deeper as they open their mouths to meet their tongues. Hanna takes both her hands to his back and runs them up and down, brushing her fingertips on his bare skin, which gives him goosebumps. Caleb wants to touch her as well, he wants to cause her the same sensations that she's making him feel, but at the same time, he doesn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, or make her think that he's seeking to get into her pants despite the talk they had before in his car, so he just unwraps his arm from her waist and places his palm on her hip where he starts to stroke her with his thumb through the material of the hideous Camp Mona t-shirt that she's wearing, and which somehow, she still manages to rock.

Hanna takes one of her hands to his front, she didn't miss his abs when she checked him out before, they looked hard and hot and she just wants to touch them, feel them. She brushes her hand there and her gentle touch causes him to let out a soft groan into their kiss. Hanna kisses him more intensively in response, sucking on his bottom lip before giving him a brief bite there and right after that, she caresses that spot of his lip with the tip of her tongue. All that interaction, Hanna's soft hands messing with Caleb's bare skin, along with her very hot way to kiss him, is causing his blood to flow straight to his crotch and he knows he should stop, but he just can't, not just yet. He's grateful that he's lying on his stomach, so nothing can be seen. He presses his fingertips into her hip and allows himself to keep kissing her for another long fifteen minutes, which feel like only a couple of minutes for them, before he finally breaks apart from her lips, ending the make-out session, but he keeps hovering over her.

Hanna bites her bottom lip while giving him a shy smile. Caleb locks his eyes with her and gets lost in her blue orbs. He places his hand on her face and caresses her cheek with his thumb a few times before running his hand back, into her hair, where he keeps stroking her.

Hanna is lost into his chocolate eyes too now and only the sound of Caleb's voice brings her back to reality.

Caleb "I'm going to take a shower, okay?"

Hanna gives him another smile. "Okay, don't take too long" she says and pecks his lips.

Caleb "I won't" he smiles back.

Caleb moves away from her, always being careful enough to hide his painful arousal, he gets up from the bed with his back to her and heads for the hallway.

/

Caleb gets into the shower, still unable to believe his current situation, Hanna is actually waiting for him in his bed. He smiles at the thought as the warm water hits his face. He can't wait to go back to her, he can't wait to hold her until they fall asleep, something that he thought was impossible and now it's just around the corner. But first, there's something he needs to take care of. He lowers one of his hands and wraps it around his massive erection, he starts to stroke himself, running his hand up and down on his length while giving himself some relief. Although he has done it many times before, and more often since he met Hanna, this time is different, because his only goal is to get off and empty himself so then he can go back and cuddle with her with no worries about getting a boner again, or at least for a while, he just hopes he can be able to relax and be close to her, trick his body so that it doesn't respond so quickly this time. She drives him insane.

/

Caleb gets back to the living room and he is disappointed to find Hanna already asleep. She has gotten under the sheets and she's sleeping peacefully on her side. He goes and gets in the bed as well, he lies down on his side too, facing her. He stares at her while deciding whether to wake her up or not. He is ecstatic to have her there, because even though they have shared bed before, this time is different, she's not there for Chocolate, she's not there because she's drunk or sad, she's there because she wanted to be there. He finally decides to go for the selfish option and allows himself to disturb her sleep.

Caleb "Hey, Han" he whispers into her ear and places some kisses all over that exposed side of her face.

Hanna "Hey…" she says, sleepy, and opens her eyes to look at him, but he's still pressing kisses against her skin, now on the soft spot right under her ear, so she just smiles and closes her eyes again. "I'm sorry, I just fell asleep"

Caleb raises his head and looks at her now, Hanna opens her eyes once again now that she's no longer feeling his lips on her.

Caleb "Yeah, I see" he gives her an amused smile. "Let's go to sleep" he says while lying down on his back next to her.

Hanna "You just woke me up to go back to sleep?" she says while getting closer to him. "Now give me another kiss at least" she says while placing one of her arms on the mattress at the other side of him to hold her weight up. Hovering over him, she leans forward to meet his lips, which are already curled into a big smile.

Caleb kisses her back, it's a gentle kiss, a relaxed one. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her down to him, making her lie down on him. Hanna rests her palms on his shoulders now that she doesn't have to keep herself up. This time the kiss is so soft and slow that the touch of their tongues feels like a caress.

Hanna "Okay, now we can go to sleep" she says some seconds after, happy with their tender kiss.

Caleb nods while giving her a smile.

Hanna moves away from him to lie down back on the mattress.

Caleb "Hey, stay here" he reaches out and pulls her back to him from her arm.

Hanna grins. "You don't mind? I don't want you to sleep uncomfortable"

Caleb "Come here" he repeats and Hanna is more than happy to lie on her side against his body and rest her head on his chest. He wraps his arm around her back, placing his palm on her hipbone, pressing her to him.

Hanna "Okay, just move me away if you are uncomfortable or if you can't feel your arm" she smiles while shutting her eyes.

Caleb chuckles. "I won't… why do you think I just woke you up? I wanted this…" his words slip out before he can even think about if he wanted to say them out loud or keep that information for himself, but he relaxes as soon as he feels a soft kiss against his chest.

Hanna "Good night, Caleb"

Caleb "Night, beautiful"

Hanna smiles once more, probably for the hundredth time in the day, cuddling with Caleb feels really good. Everything feels amazing, indeed anything with him feels that way.

/

Next morning.

Hanna wakes up and it takes her a few seconds to comprehend that the weight and the grip that she feels around her body are Caleb's arms keeping her against him. She's not used to wake up like that and it feels just as good as it felt while falling asleep. She finally opens her eyes and looks up at him. He's still fast asleep, his face is so relaxed and he's so quiet that if it weren't for his chest rising up and down, she would wonder if he was still breathing.

She doesn't even know what time it is but her phone is not close enough to reach out for it, and she doesn't want to move away from Caleb's embrace, first because of the amazing feeling of being held between his arms, and second, she doesn't want Caleb to wake up yet, so she decides to just remain there quietly a little longer. She knows that she will have to face the music when he wakes up. Although the night before she let herself go and she did what she felt like doing, her common sense is getting back to her now. She's still sunk in her thoughts when she starts to feel Caleb move under her. She attempts to lift her body a little up from him so he can move freely but his arms tighten their grip around her right away, as if it were an instinctive reaction to keep her close, since he's not even fully awake yet. Hanna's thoughts vanish as a big smile appears on her face. She rests her head back on his chest and starts to brush her fingertips on his skin.

Caleb "Hey…" he says a few seconds later, still half asleep.

Hanna "Morning"

Caleb "How did you sleep?"

Hanna "Great… you?"

Caleb "Same" he says and squeezes her against him.

Hanna raises her head from his chest now and presses several soft kisses on his cheek, but just when Caleb is about to move his mouth to that side in order to connect their lips, she pulls back.

Hanna "I'll go use the bathroom" she says while moving away from him and then gets up from the bed.

Caleb "What would you like for breakfast?" he asks her as she grabs her clothes from the night before and her toothbrush.

Hanna "I'm not so hungry… Just a coffee will be fine"

Caleb "You sure?" he asks while getting up as well.

Hanna nods and heads to the hallway.

/

Hanna gets into the kitchen some minutes later, already dressed and her hair up in a messy bun. Caleb has put on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, and he's making breakfast. She takes a look around and the large kitchen looks very different from the last time she was in there, the floor has been replaced, the kitchen counters are new, and the modern appliances like the dishwasher, the kitchen where Caleb is making the pancakes and the enormous fridge are new too.

Hanna "Wow, I love your new kitchen" she says while walking toward him. "I love the granite color" she runs her hand on the kitchen countertop.

Caleb "Yeah, it's pretty cool, isn't it? Spencer and Toby helped me picking it" he says, focused on flipping a pancake.

Hanna "So you changed me for them?" she says playfully.

Caleb shrugs. "You were busy"

Hanna "I don't recall you giving me a call to ask for my help…"

Caleb "It was a week ago, you were with Jordan"

Hanna "Oh" she only says and they fall silent.

Hanna knows they need to talk, and although she's not sure about what to say, she also knows that this is the moment to bring it up, so she breaks the awkward silence herself.

Hanna "Caleb… we need to talk"

Caleb looks at her now. "Yeah… I know…" he lets out a very small sigh. "But can it wait a little? Let's have breakfast first"

Hanna gives him a slight smile. "Yeah, sure"

Hanna stands behind his back and wraps her arms around his waist as she watches him finish with the last pancakes, then he places them on two different plates.

Hanna "Hey, I told you I was just having a coffee"

Caleb chuckles. "Yeah, but I know you better, I know you would have ended up eating my pancakes anyway"

Hanna grins knowing that he's right, she wasn't hungry before because she was a little nervous about how their morning would go, since unlike the night before, they need to stop acting impulsively, get back to reality and face their current situation, but seeing that he agrees with her about their need to have a talk and that he's in a good mood as always, she's more relaxed now, and his pancakes look and smell delicious.

Hanna releases him from her grip. "Well, you don't have a table, or even chairs for us to sit and have breakfast" she teases him.

Caleb gives her a smile. "Here" he says and gestures to the kitchen countertop, then he wraps an arm around her waist and places the other hand on the back of her thigh and helps her up to sit there.

They have breakfast there, Hanna sitting on the countertop and Caleb standing before her, talking about nothing in particular, just random stuff like the furniture that Caleb would like to buy for the house, and some other things, but nothing about whatever is going on between them.

Right when Hanna is finishing her cup of coffee, her phone starts to ring next to her, so she places the now empty cup on the countertop and grabs her phone, grateful to see that it's her mom and not another person.

Hanna "Hey, mum" she answers the call. "Yeah, sorry I didn't let you know, I got pretty drunk last night so I just crashed on Alison's couch" she lies. "Uh huh, I'm going home for lunch, see you later… fine… bye"

Caleb is already loading the dishwasher when Hanna ends the call.

Hanna "Can we talk now? I need to go back home"

Caleb nods. "Sure, just give me a minute, I'll go use the bathroom first. I'll be right back" he says while leaving the room.

Hanna goes back to the living room and makes the bed before she sits down on the edge of it to wait for Caleb, who shows up over there a little after.

Caleb "Well… let's talk" he says and goes sit next to her. "Hey, you didn't have to make the bed" he gives her a smile.

Hanna only smiles back in response.

Caleb "So…?" he asks, trying to start the conversation that he doesn't want to have, but which he also knows is necessary.

Hanna "I don't know where to start" she confesses and looks down and away.

Caleb "How about starting with what you do know" he takes her hand in his.

Hanna "Well… what I do know is that I have no regrets about last night… and that I obviously can no longer say that I am confused about you, because it's pretty obvious that I have feelings for you too, I can't deny it after everything that happened last night" she says, still without making eye contact with him.

A huge grin appears on Caleb's face at hearing her words, but then he hears a sigh coming from her mouth, and she still keeps looking away, and that can't be a good sign.

Caleb "But…" he encourages her to go on.

Hanna "But I can't ignore the fact that I'm in a relationship… I'm engaged… I can't cheat on Jordan, he doesn't deserve it… well, I already did, but still… fuck, this is harder than I thought" she says, a little frustrated, seeing that she can't even get to a point.

There's a silence, since Caleb is not sure if he wants her to go on, and Hanna still doesn't know what to say, because she doesn't know what to do either, what to ask him, because she doesn't even know what she wants either. But then she decides to ask him what he wants, maybe his mind is clearer than hers.

Hanna "What do you want?"

Caleb "I want to be with you, Han… like… something serious"

Hanna looks at him, a little surprised, because although he was pretty honest to her about his feelings the night before, she didn't know how serious he wanted to take their thing, whatever it is.

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb nods while starting to draw random patterns with his thumb on her palm. "Yeah… I mean..." he makes a pause and then goes on. "I told you, I suck at love, relationships, it never worked for me. But this is different, I never felt this need to be so close to someone before, I'm a lonely person, and I've always been better being on my own. But you… I don't know what's with you, but I want you around as much as possible" he says although there are so many other things that he would like to tell her, but he doesn't want to push too much, he doesn't want to make her freak out, so he finishes with a simple, but still clear phrase. "I would like to give this a shot"

Hanna takes a few seconds before answering, his honest answer just melted her heart, he has no problem to admit his feelings, and she loves it. But she also knows that what he wants with her is not possible at the moment. "You know I can't give you that right now" she says on a very low voice, while looking down to the floor.

Caleb "Yeah, I do…" he only says.

Hanna "But you also need to know that things would have been pretty different last night if it wasn't for my current situation…" she squeezes their joined hands.

Caleb "Different how?"

Hanna "I wouldn't have held myself back from going further with you" she confesses, still without making eye contact with him.

Caleb grins, and since she keeps avoiding his look, he takes one of his hands to her face and makes her look up at him. He opens his mouth to say something, but Hanna speaks again before he can even say a word.

Hanna "The point is… I need time, Caleb… I know what I have to do… but I just don't know how to do it, it's so hard"

Caleb "And what is it that you have to do?"

Hanna "Well… first of all, I can no longer be with Jordan" she says very convinced, because she knows she can't be with someone for whom she doesn't feel anything, she confirmed it the night before, when Caleb made her feel things that she had forgotten she could feel, things that Jordan wasn't able to make her feel even during their perfect weekend together, even when they did more than just kissing. But she's not telling that to Caleb, it wouldn't be fair to Jordan, she already fucked it up enough by cheating on him.

Caleb "You are breaking up with him?"

Hanna sighs. "Yeah… but it doesn't have to do with whatever is going on between us. I don't want to mix everything up. My relationship with Jordan and our thing are two completely different things. I'm not breaking up with Jordan because of you, I have my reasons to do so. And I'm not here with you right now because things between Jordan and I aren't good either, I'm here because I want to be here"

Caleb nods. "I'm so glad to hear that, Hanna" he says in his very honest way and gives her a smile.

Hanna smiles back and closes the distance between them, taking her mouth to his and they share a brief, but still very sweet, kiss.

Hanna "It's just the truth…" she starts to say after breaking the kiss. "I wish things were different, I wish we didn't have to hold anything back"

Caleb "We don't have to, Han… If you tell me that you will break up with him, then that's enough for me… I don't mind keeping this a secret for some time as long as you are with me"

Hanna stares at him for a few seconds, he's proposal sounds so good, being with him the night before felt just so great that she considers taking his offer for a moment, but then she shakes those thoughts off and goes back to her point.

Hanna "I can't do that, baby" she pulls him into a hug. "Believe me, I want to give this a chance and see what happens, but I need time" she adds, but he pulls away and sits up straight.

Caleb "How long?"

Hanna "I don't know. I want to do this right, Caleb… My relationship with Jordan deserves to end well, it needs time, I can't just grab my phone and end things with him just like that, I need to see him, I need to have a talk with him… and it won't be easy, I don't even know how to do it, I've never been in such a situation… he's not just another guy that I dated, he's my fiancée"

Caleb only purses his lips.

Hanna "Can you give me some time? Would you wait for me?"

Caleb "What if you change your mind in the meanwhile?"

Hanna "I won't… I know I'm such a denier, but I'm not idiot... I just need time"

Caleb nods.

Hanna "Is that a yes?"

Caleb "I guess it is… I don't have much of a choice"

Hanna "Hey, I promise I won't take too long… I'll give him a call today, maybe I can go see him one of these days…"

Caleb "Okay" he only says, sounding not so convinced. He really doesn't like the idea of Hanna going to Washington, not after what happened the night before. He can't stand the idea of her being with Jordan.

Hanna "You will have to take care of Chocolate" she says, trying to convince him a little bit more. "You will have him all for you for some days"

Caleb "I want you all for me" he says while making eye contact with Hanna.

Hanna smiles. "That's why I need to go to Washington"

Caleb only nods, not more convinced than before, but more understanding at least.

Hanna "Well… I should get going" she says while standing up from the bed and grabs her purse.

Caleb "I'll drive you" he says, since she doesn't have her car. "Don't forget your Camp Mona t-shirt" he smiles amused.

Hanna chuckles and grabs it as well.

/

They get to Hanna's place and Caleb parks the car in front of the house next door, since Ashley is at home and he knows that Hanna told her that she was at Alison's.

Caleb "Han… How am I supposed to act around you now?" he asks as soon as he stops the car.

Hanna "Like always… just don't push me away like you did during the whole week… but no more kisses either, for now" she makes that part clear. "Let's get together later so you can see Chocolate"

Caleb nods. "And you are coming with me to buy some furniture for my house tomorrow"

Hanna smiles. "Deal"

Caleb "Can I kiss you one more time at least?" he asks, already getting closer to her, anticipating her answer.

Hanna grins and she kisses him herself, taking his face in her hands to make sure that their last kiss, only for now, of course, it's passionate enough to make him remember how bad she wants him, how much she cares about him, and what she feels for him until she sorts her things out and comes back to him.

Hanna "See you later" she says, smiling, when she parts their lips. "Give me a call, okay?" she opens the door and gets out of the car.

Caleb "I will… see you, Han"

/

Caleb gets back home and he goes straight to the living room to plop down on the bed. He is really tired since he and Hanna didn't get much sleep during the night.

He lies on his side, facing the side of the bed where Hanna slept and spots his Camp Mona t-shirt extended on the duvet. He smiles and grabs it, taking it to his face and his smile becomes wider the moment he smells Hanna's perfume on it. He definitely loves his Camp Mona t-shirt.

Now that he has some time alone, he gets to think about the previous night's events, pictures of Hanna invade his mind, and he comes to a conclusion: Although he won't push her into anything, he will fight for his girl, he is not so convinced about that 'time' that she asked him for. Fuck stupid Jordan, he already had his chance.

* * *

Well! I hope you enjoyed this fully Haleb chapter :)

Let's just see you long that 'time' lasts until Hanna ends up messing around with Caleb again haha. (Don't worry, things between them will keep going on, it has already started, of course they won't be able to put it on pause).

As always, I loved your reviews about the previous chapter, all of you were happy that they kissed, I know it was about time! Let me know what you think about this one!

Till next week! xx


	15. Chapter 15

Hanna gets into her bedroom after having taken a shower. After Caleb dropped her off at her house, she had lunch with Ashley and Ted. And now, wearing her pajamas and exhausted after the amazing night that she had with Caleb after Camp Mona, she's about to take a nap when her phone starts to ring on her bed. She smiles and rushes to grab it, thinking that it could be Caleb, since he is supposed to call her, but after a quick look at the screen, she finds out that it's Emily.

Hanna "Hey, Em" she greets her friend while sitting down on the edge of the bed where Chocolate is already napping peacefully.

Emily "Hey…" she greets back and Hanna can notice a hint of sadness in her voice.

Hanna "You okay?"

Emily "Uh huh" she only says.

Hanna "You don't sound good"

Emily "I was just calling to see how went your night… You were nowhere to be found" she changes the subject.

Hanna "Yeah, I just… Well, I was the third wheel there with you and Ali, I went for a drink, I hung out with Mona for a while, then I ran into Sean and Noel… and Caleb found me later and took me home" she lies.

Emily "You worried us, you could have answered your phone"

Hanna "Yeah, I know, Caleb told me that you were looking for me… my phone was on silent in my purse, I didn't realize. Anyway, are you okay, Em? What's going on?" she asks again.

Emily sighs. "Well… it's just that… Ali and I had a fight last night when we got back at her place… and it was a huge one. I took a cab back to my mom's"

Hanna "Oh… you two seemed so good at the party… I'm sorry to hear that, Em… I'm sure you will make up, you always do…"

Emily "I don't know, Han… I… I asked her for some space, but I think that's not enough, I think we should take a break or something, I don't know"

Hanna hears her friend's voice crack. "Do you want me to come over? Wanna talk?"

Emily "I'm not sure if I want to talk… but I could use some company…"

Hanna "Okay, I'm coming over" she says while getting up from the bed.

As much as she needs a nap, she changes her pajamas for some clothes and leaves her comfortable bed and her cuddly dog behind to go with her friend.

/

Hanna "You sure you don't want to talk?" she asks Emily.

Since Hanna got there, Emily has been crying her eyes out, and it's been an hour. They are in Emily's bedroom, lying on the bed. Hanna is half sitting, resting on the pillows and Emily is curled up into a ball, lying on her side next to Hanna.

Emily nods and wipes her tears off for the hundredth time. Hanna hands her another tissue. "It's just the same as always, Ali is always trying to meddle in things that are out of her concern, and I am done… I just don't want her to go back to her old habits, I know she has changed, she means well now, but it still bothers me the way she wants to control everything… and there are some other things that aren't going so well too, besides, she said some things that hurt me last night… but I don't want to talk, I need to cool off"

Hanna "You will work things out, I know you will, you love each other so much"

Emily "I hope so… Breaking up with her crossed my mind for a moment, that's why I left her house" she uses the tissue that Hanna just gave her to wipe her tears off once more.

Hanna nods and looks up to the ceiling.

Emily "You okay, though?"

Hanna "Yeah"

Emily "I'm, sorry, you seemed very happy when you got here, I kind of dragged your mood down with mine"

Hanna "No… you just made me think about something when you mentioned that you considered breaking up with Ali…" she looks back at Emily.

Emily "What?"

Hanna "I'll break up with Jordan"

Emily looks at her surprised.

Hanna "I already made the decision" she adds.

Emily "When?"

Hanna "I've been thinking a lot during the last week, after he left, but I made my decision last night"

Emily "Why?"

Hanna "Because I don't love him… thinking about breaking up with him doesn't make me want to cry, I care about him, I don't want to hurt him, but I can picture my life without him now… that's something that I couldn't do before, I was afraid to be alone I guess… you and the girls are so happy in your relationships… I wanted the same for me, I wanted that with Jordan, but now I know it will never work, because there's a huge difference between what you guys have and what Jordan and I have, you can't be without Ali because you love her, you are crying your eyes out right now because you love her, there's a chance for you, you can make it better, you can make it work… I don't love Jordan, I can't force it"

Emily "Wow, you really made up your mind" she smiles slightly although some tears keep rolling down on her cheeks.

Hanna "Yeah, I guess I did…"

Emily "Does it have anything to do with Caleb?"

Hanna stares at her. "Kind of… in part, I think… but me breaking up with Jordan is not because of him… he has nothing to do with our relationship problems"

Emily "You seemed pretty jealous last night"

Hanna "Was it that obvious?"

Emily "Yeah"

Hanna "I have feelings for him, Em… and whatever I'm feeling for him, made me realize that I definitely don't love Jordan"

Emily smiles now. "Did something happen between you last night?"

Hanna "No, he just took me home" she lies.

Emily "Well, maybe he will gather the courage to make a move on you after you break up with Jordan… or you can make a move yourself too"

Hanna smiles, she would love to tell Emily everything about her night with Caleb, but she holds herself back from it and just nods.

Emily "Want to watch a movie or something?" she asks while grabbing the remote from the bedside table.

Hanna "Yes, let's stop thinking so much"

They pick a movie on Netflix, but only twenty minutes after it starts, they both are fast asleep. Hanna's phone buzzing on her tummy wakes her up. She grabs it half asleep but grins at seeing Caleb's name showing on the screen.

Hanna "Hey" she whispers on the phone.

Caleb "Hey… why are you whispering?"

Hanna "I'm with Emily, and she's asleep right next to me" she keeps whispering.

Caleb "Are you at home?"

Hanna "No, I'm at her place…"

Caleb "Oh, right"

Hanna "You can still go pick Chocolate up, my mom is at home, I'll text her"

Caleb "I thought we were gonna get together"

Hanna "Yeah, I know… but Emily is a little sad, I'm keeping her company. Go for Chocolate and I'll meet you later, okay? I'll pick him up at your place"

Caleb "Fine" he agrees.

Hanna "Okay, see you later"

Caleb "See you"

Hanna ends the call and takes the remote to look for something else to watch as her friend keeps napping.

/

Later.

Emily is awake again and watching TV with Hanna as they talk about random stuff, leaving out their relationship problems this time.

Just when Hanna is about to tell her that she has to leave, Pam pops into Emily's room.

Pam "Hanna, you are staying for dinner, right?"

Hanna sits up. "I actually…"

Emily "Yeah, mom, she's staying for dinner" she answers for her and looks at Hanna.

And Hanna can't say no to her friend.

Hanna "Yes, I'll stay" she gives Pam a smile. "Thanks"

Pam smiles back and leaves the room.

Emily "I feel like back in high school" she smiles.

Hanna "Yeah, totally… it's weird being back at my mom's after having lived in New York"

Emily "At least we don't have to cook"

Hanna "Uh huh… but I'd like to go back to living on my own, I miss having my own place"

Emily "Are you staying in Rosewood now that you are breaking up with Jordan?"

Hanna "I haven't thought about it yet… but I guess I will… it wouldn't make any sense if I went back to New York, you all are here, and Chocolate likes Rosewood better, I could find a job here"

Emily "And Caleb is here too"

Hanna "Yeah, I can't take Chocolate away from him"

Emily rolls her eyes. "Sure, that's the only reason"

Hanna chuckles. "I'll go use the bathroom" she says while getting up from the bed.

/

As soon as Hanna gets into the bathroom, she calls Caleb.

Caleb "Hey, Han"

Hanna "Hey… I don't want you to think that I'm avoiding you or something, but I won't come over… I'm having dinner here at Emily's, her mom just invited me and I couldn't say no. Please, don't get mad"

Caleb chuckles. "Of course I won't get mad, it's okay"

Hanna smiles, it's so easy with Caleb… she can't help thinking how much harder it would be if it were Jordan, he hates when she changes their plans.

Caleb "Want me to take Chocolate back to your place myself later?" he offers.

Hanna "No, it's okay, keep him for the night"

Caleb "You sure?" he asks, knowing how much Hanna needs the dog at night sometimes. "I would have no problem taking him back"

Hanna "It's fine, I trust you… I know you won't take him out of the town again" she jokes.

Caleb "Very funny"

Hanna giggles.

Caleb "Well, you still can join us after dinner"

Hanna "No, we both know that I would end up sleeping over again, and I really need to go back home tonight or god knows what my mom will start to think"

Caleb chuckles. "Okay then… see you tomorrow?"

Hanna "Yeah… Do you still want to go buy the furniture tomorrow?

Caleb "Uh huh"

Hanna "Okay, what time?"

Caleb "You tell me"

Hanna "Mmm… after lunch maybe? I'm not planning to get up early tomorrow"

Caleb smiles. "Yeah, that's fine"

Hanna "Okay, see you tomorrow then, take care of my baby"

Caleb "Yeah… I'm pretty sure that your huge baby is doing quite good, he's lying all across my bed, but don't worry, I'll just lie down on the floor so I don't bother him"

Hanna laughs. "Good"

Caleb "Good?"

Hanna "Yeah, good"

Caleb "So you don't give a shit about me" he says playfully.

Hanna "Okay, fine… you can lie down next to him on the bed, he likes cuddling anyway, but don't disturb his sleep" she jokes.

Caleb "He likes cuddling just like you"

Hanna chuckles. "Excuse me? Who woke me up last night just to cuddle with me?"

Caleb gets a little embarrassed, so he just smiles, but Hanna can't see that, so she keeps talking.

Hanna "Well… see you tomorrow"

Caleb "You sure? You won't cancel on me again?" he says in an amused way, not reproaching her at all.

Hanna laughs. "Well, you still have my dog, I have to get him back at some point, so yes, I'm seeing you tomorrow"

Caleb "You are mean, Hanna Marin"

Hanna smiles again. "I want to see you" she stops joking now and gets serious. "I'm coming over to your place tomorrow"

Caleb "I want to see you too" he says with a grin on his face.

There's a knock on the door and then Hanna hears Emily's voice.

Emily "Han, you okay in there?" she yells through the door.

Hanna "Yeah, I'm on the phone. I'll be out in a minute" she yells back.

Emily "Oh, okay. Don't worry, I was just checking on you, it's been a while since you got in there" she says and walks away.

Hanna "I gotta go, Caleb"

Caleb "Uh huh… let me know if you change your mind about Chocolate staying the night here, I can take him back"

Hanna "I won't, it's okay"

Caleb "Okay… so let me know if you change your mind about coming over later"

Hanna chuckles. "Caleb!"

Caleb "I just needed to check again" he smirks. "Well, fine… see you tomorrow. Bye, Han"

Hanna "Bye... Give Chocolate a kiss for me" she ends the call.

/

When Hanna gets back home, she's more exhausted than before, that short nap at Emily's wasn't enough for her, so she prepares for bed and turns in, happy to finally get some rest. But she also knows that she can't relax completely until doing something that she has been putting off all day long: she needs to talk to Jordan. She calls him and just like most of the times she does, she gets to the voicemail. Feeling frustrated, being that is Sunday night and even so her boyfriend doesn't pick up her call, she decides to text him.

Hanna: "Hey, I need to talk to you, call me ASAP. It's freaking Sunday night, why aren't you answering your phone?"

She presses send and lays her phone on the bedside table before turning the lamp off.

Only a few seconds later, when she's trying to go to sleep, but her annoyance is stronger than her tiredness, her phone buzzes. She takes it back in her hand and a smile appears on her face.

Caleb: "I think that text wasn't for me" *Flushed face emoji with wide eyes and raised eyebrows*

Yes, she sent Caleb the text that was meant for Jordan by accident. After copying and sending the message to Jordan this time, she texts Caleb back.

Hanna: "Oh, sorry, I sent it to you by accident. What are you doing? How's Chocolate?"

Caleb sends her a selfie of him and Chocolate lying in the bed. The dog is asleep with his head resting on Caleb's arm.

Hanna: "How cute" *Red heart emoji*

Caleb: "We can make some room for you to join us" *Winking face emoji*

Hanna: "Where?"

Caleb: "Right between us"

Hanna smiles at the thought of sleeping between Caleb and Chocolate, picturing herself cuddling with them. That would be so perfect, it would feel so good.

Hanna: "Sounds tempting"

Caleb: "Come here, then… there could be a good night kiss for you if you come over"

Hanna: *Face with rolling eyes emoji* "I said no more kisses for now, remember?"

Caleb: *Thinking face emoji* "Sorry, I don't recall"

Hanna: "Good night, Caleb" *Face throwing a kiss emoji* "See you tomorrow"

Caleb: "Good night, beautiful. Sleep tight" *Face throwing a kiss emoji*

Now, with a better mood after chatting with Caleb, Hanna makes herself more comfortable in her bed and finally goes to sleep.

/

Next morning, Hanna is awakened by her phone. It rings a few times before she manages to raise her arm from the mattress and reach out for it.

Hanna "Hey, Jordan" she is still sleepy when she answers the call.

Jordan "Hey, what was that text about?"

Hanna "I wanted to talk to you, you really need to start answering your phone when I call, I'm done" she says annoyed, and definitely more awake now.

Jordan "I was already asleep, Hanna"

Hanna sighs. She could easily answer back to that, since he not answering her calls happens most of the time, it's not just something that happened the previous night, but she decides to let it go and go straight to her point. "Okay, fine. I was calling because I need to see you"

Jordan "Is everything okay?"

Hanna "Uh huh, but I need to talk to you… I'm going there to Washington, tell me which day suits you best"

Jordan "What do you want to talk about? Can't you just tell me now?"

Hanna "I'd rather talk to you in person…"

Jordan "Okay, let me see and I'll call you back later… I'd like to make some time to spend with you since you are coming here"

Hanna "That's not needed, I just want to talk, it won't take too long. I was thinking I could go tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow"

Jordan "So, you are not staying here for a few days?"

Hanna "No… I…" she says while thinking of a good excuse. "I'll just go talk to you, I need to get back because my mom is going on a trip with Ted and she can't take care of Chocolate" she lies. "Besides, it's Toby's birthday on Saturday, so I need to get back before that" she adds a bit of truth at the end.

Jordan "What about Caleb? Can't he keep the dog for some days?"

Hanna "No, he can't" she lies again, although her first idea was to leave Chocolate with Caleb for a few days, so she could go to Washington with no worries, she realized then that she didn't want to stay there that much time anyway. "Just let me know if I can come over one of these days, please"

Jordan "You are worrying me, Han… is everything alright? Why can't you just tell me on the phone?"

Hanna "I told you, I want to talk to you in person"

Jordan "Okay, I guess I'll call you back later then… let me talk to George, maybe I can go there myself and stay with you for a couple of days at least" he offers.

Hanna "You don't need to do that, I'm just asking for a little while to talk"

Jordan "You don't want me to go see you?"

Hanna "It's not that… please, let's talk"

Jordan "Fine, I'll call you back… you know that I love you, right?"

Hanna's eyes get watery. She feels really guilty. "Yeah, I know… call me back, please. Bye" she ends the call before giving Jordan the chance to answer, since the call got already too much awkward and harder than she thought it would be.

/

Jordan storms out from his luxurious large bedroom at his father's mansion in Washington and goes straight to the guest room down the hallway where he knows that George stayed the night after going out for some drinks together the previous night.

Jordan lets himself in the room and not caring about the two naked girls that are lying in the bed with his friend, he wakes him up. "Hey! I need to talk to you. Right now" he says out loud while shaking his shoulder.

George "What the fuck, man? Don't you know what time it is?" he says and pulls the covers over his head.

Jordan "Yeah, it's seven in the morning. Monday morning, by the way"

George "Oh shit" he says and sits up on the bed, remembering that he and Jordan's father have an important meeting with some other people in less than two hours.

Jordan "Put some clothes on and come to my bedroom, I need to talk to you" he says while heading for the door. "And please, clean that shit up before the maid comes in here" he gestures toward the bedside table where there is a trace of cocaine next to an empty bottle of champagne.

/

George pops into Jordan's room after having a shower and getting dressed. "Okay, so? What was so important to break into my bedroom like that?" He asks while walking to the couch and then he sits down.

Jordan "I think Hanna is breaking up with me"

George "That can't happen. I thought you had fixed it all the other weekend in Rosewood. What happened?"

Jordan "I just talked to her. She wants to come here to talk to me"

George "She wanting to come here is a good sign"

Jordan "She doesn't want to stay, she said she would come to talk to me and go back to Rosewood. I told her I would try to go there myself and spend some days with her again but she turned me down."

George takes his hands to his head and starts to massage his temples.

Jordan "She's been so weird lately… I haven't heard a single 'I love you' from her for a while"

George "Shhh… Stop talking like a chick… let me think" he stands up from the couch. "I told you that you needed to bring up the wedding thing when you went to Rosewood… we need you to marry her as soon as possible, like next month"

Jordan "Why are you so obsessed with my wedding now? You were the one who asked me to push it back till next year"

George "Yeah, but that was before that stupid dog reappeared, I thought she would come to Washington with you, I thought she would be around as your fiancée during your father's campaign… people think that your father is just a lonely old man with no family and it makes him see cold and distant from the common people, we need to work on that aspect of his image, we are lucky that we are still months away from the elections. We need Hanna… I'm sure that that dinner the other day wouldn't have turned out so bad if she had been here"

Jordan "Yeah, thank you for calling her and cursing her out about it, by the way, you made me a great favor" he says sarcastically. "I can't ask her to get marry in a month, our relationship is hanging by a thread and you want me to ask her such a thing? Didn't you just hear me? I told you that I think she's breaking up with me! Not to mention that we already had a fight over that when she was ready to start to plan her dream wedding and get married and I told her that I couldn't"

George "You don't get it. It's a win-win situation… give her a call and let her know that you can't see her any of these days, that will give us some time. I'll get in touch with some wedding planner in Rosewood, we will offer them a good amount of money to plan the wedding in such a short time, then you go back to Rosewood next week and take her by surprise with all this thing about the wedding, you just need to play the romantic guy and tell her that you are taking care of everything yourself, tell her that she only needs to worry about picking a dress… there's no way she will leave you after that… girls love wedding shit, she will be so fucking excited that she will forget about all your little issues"

Jordan sighs and sits on the edge of the bed. "I don't know"

George "Come on, it's a perfect solution… You two are already engaged, you were going to get married anyway, we are just bringing it forward. Forget about what I told you about your father's campaign…" he says, trying to convince Jordan. "Do you want to save your relationship with Hanna?"

Jordan remains silent for a few seconds, but then he finally looks up at George. "Fine. Get in touch with a wedding planner. A good one"

/

That afternoon.

Hanna rings the doorbell at Caleb's and only a few seconds later, he opens the door, all smiley.

Caleb "Hey, Han" he moves to the side, making some room for her to get inside.

Hanna "Hey" she greets him back while stepping into the house.

Chocolate shows up as soon as he hears Hanna's voice and rushes over.

Hanna laughs. "Hi, baby" she kneels down and wraps her arms around Chocolate's neck as he licks her face while wagging his tail. "Did Caleb take good care of you?" she asks him in a funny voice, like if she were talking to a little child. "Did you sleep well?"

Caleb rolls his eyes. "He gets all that attention and I get just a 'hey'?" he says while biting back a smile. "He slept like an angel by the way, it was me the one who couldn't go to sleep because he was snoring like a freaking bear"

Hanna laughs again and stands up. "Hey! He doesn't snore that much" she says amused while approaching Caleb. She wraps her arms around his neck and places a sweet kiss on his cheek. "Did you sleep well?" she asks warmly.

Caleb smiles and places his hands on her waist. "Yeah" he says already against her cheek and he gives her a kiss there too. "Not as well as the night before, though" he whispers and presses a couple of kisses on her neck now.

Hanna shuts her eyes for a moment but then she reacts. "Okay, that's enough" she says and pulls away from him. "Let's go"

Caleb smirks. "Let's go"

/

After Caleb parks his car at a very large parking lot, they get into a huge furniture store.

Hanna smiles at seeing all the living room sets in exhibition. "Wow, there are so many beautiful things… I could be here all day long" she says as she starts to walk between two different sets.

Caleb "Yeah, that's not happening… let's just pick some furniture and get the hell out of here"

Hanna "Oh, come on… it's all in the little details… which style do you like the most?"

Caleb "Mmm… that one?" he points a modern set of dark colored armchairs and a large corner sofa.

Hanna "But your wooden floor is already dark… you need some color…"

Caleb chuckles. "Why do you ask me for my opinion, then?"

Hanna "Why did you ask for my help, then?" she fires back along with a smile. "Anyway, it's your house, we are taking only what you want" she adds.

Caleb "No, you are right, let's pick another one"

Hanna stares at the set that Caleb just pointed before and after a few seconds, she comes out with an idea. "Well, I think it could work if we pick a nice colored rug and some cushions to lighten it up and give it some contrast"

Caleb "See? You know what you are talking about" he approaches her and wraps his arms around her waist from behind her back. "I'll leave everything in your hands" he rests his chin on her shoulder.

Hanna smiles and frees herself from his grip. "What's your budget? How much are you planning to spend in furniture?"

Caleb "No budget… don't worry about the money, just make my house look like an actual house"

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb nods.

At that moment, a seller approaches them. "Good afternoon, how can I help you?"

/

When Hanna and Caleb get out of the store after having spent all afternoon long picking furniture for each room of his house, it's already dark outside.

Caleb "I didn't realize we were so long in there" he says as they walk back to the car.

Hanna "Yeah, and we still have to get you some paintings and other decorations, but we can do that online later"

Caleb chuckles. "Not today, I had enough… besides, they said they would deliver my purchase the day after tomorrow, we've got time… wanna go grab some dinner?"

Hanna "Sure"

Caleb "Do you know a nice place to go?"

Hanna "Yeah, we can go to The Apple Rose Grille, it's not far from The Brew"

Caleb "Perfect" he says and opens the passenger door for her.

/

When they get to The Grille, Caleb places his hand on Hanna's lower back and gently leads her to their table. Hanna is still surprised of how her body reacts at each touch from him, feeling his palm pressing against her in such a soft way feels really good, every touch from him provokes things in her, no matter if they are small gestures like his lovely way to lead her to the table or such passionate kisses like those that they shared during their night together, he manages to blur her thoughts for moments.

After the waiter takes their order and walks away, Hanna looks at Caleb and smiles amused.

Hanna "So, are you telling me what you actually do for a living? Don't bullshit me again with all that computer stuff, you just spent thousands of dollars at that store and you didn't even care… are you a drug dealer or something?"

Caleb laughs.

Hanna "Really! Besides, I have never seen you work since I met you, and you aren't even thinking of looking for a job either"

Caleb "I just did pretty good during those couple of years that I lived in London… that's all"

Hanna "What do you mean by doing pretty good?"

Caleb "Let's just say that I made enough money not to have to worry about getting a job for the next ten years or so" he shrugs.

Hanna's eyes widen.

Caleb "I went there because a multinational company got in contact with me… they offered me a good amount of money to advise them with regard to computer security, they had had some issues with corporate espionage, they also put a work team at my disposal and we designed a new security system… then other people heard about it and two other companies hired me as well. That's it, I was lucky, I guess"

Hanna "You are not lucky, you are a genius" she says, completely amazed.

Caleb "No, I'm not… I just knew exactly where the security breaches were… I told you I was a hacker at first, I just used it on my favor and in a legal way that time"

Hanna "Why did you leave London then?"

Caleb "I told you, I wanted to come clean with my grandpa and spend more time with him…"

Hanna nods, recalling their talk at The Radley Hotel.

Caleb "And well, after finding out what had happened to him, I didn't feel like going back to London, and I had Chocolate with me, so I just went to Allentown, it was near here and I had a few 'friends' there" he raises his eyebrows while saying 'friends'.

Hanna "Oh" she only says and gives him a sad look.

Caleb smiles. "It's okay"

Hanna "And you didn't think about going back there now? To London?"

Caleb shakes his head no. "I'll stay here, in Rosewood"

Hanna smiles widely now. "Really? You made your choice?"

Caleb "Han… how could I leave after what happened the other night?" he says softly and takes her hand in his.

Hanna smiles back, and then she bites her bottom lip while staring at him. He is so sweet. She really wants to jump to him and kiss him hard. But she can't. They are in a public place and she knows pretty well that people in Rosewood talk, they love gossiping.

Caleb "What?" he asks, bringing her back from her thoughts.

Hanna "Nothing" she smiles again and squeezes his hand before moving her hand away.

They have a great time while having dinner, just like every time they get together. When it's time to pay for the dinner, Hanna offers to pay her share but Caleb refuses to let her, saying that he invited her to thank her for her time and help with all the furniture stuff.

/

Once they are in Caleb's car, on their way back to his place, since Hanna has to go there to get her car and her dog back, Hanna's phone starts to ring, and when she takes it out of her purse and sees that it's Jordan, she hangs up on him because she doesn't want to talk to him in front of Caleb. But only a few seconds later, it starts to ring again and she knows that she can't hang up on Jordan again.

Hanna "It's Jordan, I have to answer… you don't mind?" she asks Caleb.

Caleb "It's okay, Han… I know what I got myself into" he gives her a reassuring smile and then turns his gaze back to the road.

Hanna takes her phone to her ear and finally answers the call. "Hey" she simply says.

Jordan "Hi, baby… how was your day?"

Hanna "It was good, yours?"

Jordan "Pretty boring… listen, I talked to George and he had already planned some important meetings for the week, some of them aren't even in Washington. So, I can't promise that I will be able to see you if you come here"

Hanna "What? I just asked you to talk… you don't even have an hour for me? I can go there at night if you want, make some time"

Jordan "I told you, I might not be here. I'll see you next week, I promise"

Hanna "Next week, Jordan? You gotta be kidding me! What am I? You treat me like I am just another person with whom you have to schedule a meeting! Are you serious? I'm your freaking fiancée!" her anger is stronger than her and she forgets for a moment that Caleb is right next to her.

Jordan "Han, you know I want to see you… it's just a crazy week for me, try to understand, please" he tries to soften the situation. "Besides, there's something I want to talk to you about too, believe me, I want to see you as well"

Hanna "Well, it doesn't seem so" she says annoyed.

Jordan loses his temper now. "Fuck, Hanna. Why do you always have to make everything harder?"

Hanna "I am the one doing things harder? I only asked you to talk, Jordan, talk! Just talk! I think that what I am asking you for is pretty the least that any common couple does. It's a basic"

Jordan "Yes, you are right, and that is not the only basic couple thing that we are not doing, and that's because you are not here, you were supposed to be here weeks ago"

Hanna "So what? Should I have lied to you? Should I have told you that I wanted to meet up to fuck rather than to talk? You would have made time for that?" Hanna's anger gets the best of her again and right after realizing what she just said, she gives Caleb an apologetic look, but he's still focused on the road.

Jordan sighs. He reminds himself to stay calm, he's trying to fix things with Hanna, actually, he is trying to avoid being left by her and he won't be able to save their relationship if he keeps fighting with her.

Jordan "Look, I am sorry Hanna, I didn't call you to fight… I just wanted to let you know that I'm seeing you next week, no matter what, it's a promise. I miss you and I love you"

Hanna "Save it. I have already heard those things before. Bye" she hangs up.

Caleb "You okay, Han?" he turns his gaze toward her for a moment, only to find her eyes full of tears, which make him want to drive right to Washington himself and beat the crap out of Jordan, but it's not his business.

Hanna nods. "I'm sorry you had to hear those things, I shouldn't have answered him" she says softly.

Caleb "Please, don't apologize… you have nothing to apologize for" he doesn't take his eyes off the road this time but he reaches out and takes her hand.

But Hanna takes her hand away and turns to look out the window. They remain silent for the rest of the drive.

Once they get to Caleb's place, he pulls into the driveway and stops the car. He turns to Hanna but she has already opened her door and is climbing out.

Caleb gets out of the car as well.

Hanna "Can you go bring Chocolate?"

Caleb "Sure" he stares at her as she walks toward her own car and then turns around and heads to the front door of his house.

A couple of minutes later, when he gets back outside with Chocolate, he finds Hanna standing by her car, resting her back against it and smoking a cigarette. Chocolate rushes to her and greets her but she only gives him a forced half smile and strokes his head a little before opening the rear door for him. When she turns back around after getting the dog in her car, she finds Caleb's eyes on her, he doesn't say anything to her, he only purses his lips while looking down at the cigarette in her hand.

Hanna "I just need to chill out a little" she shrugs and takes a puff.

Caleb walks up to Hanna and pulls her close to him wrapping his arms around her. "I can help you with that"

Hanna relaxes in his embrace and wraps her free arm around his neck, she keeps her other hand carefully away from him not to burn him with her cigarette.

Caleb "Let's go inside. Stay a while" he suggests a few seconds later and squeezes her against him.

Hanna pulls away from his arms now. "No, I can't" she takes another puff. "I gotta go"

Caleb "Why?"

Hanna "Because I'm too upset right now"

Caleb "That's the point, let me be with you"

Hanna "No, it's not okay. You can't just comfort me because I'm upset after having a fight with Jordan"

Caleb "I've done it before" he says, meaning the night that he spent at her house and she got into his bedroom looking for Chocolate but ended up in his arms.

Hanna "It was different"

Caleb "How?"

Hanna "There wasn't anything between us… I told you, I don't want to mix things up, I shouldn't have answered that call being with you" she puts out her cigarette and grabs her keys from her purse. "I'm going home" she turns around to walk toward the driver side, but Caleb grabs her arm and stops her.

Caleb "Let me drive you home at least"

Hanna "No, I need my car"

Caleb "I know, I'm driving your car"

Hanna "And how are you coming back here?"

Caleb "I'll walk, they are just a few blocks" he shrugs.

Hanna "No, that's not needed"

Caleb "I want to do it"

Hanna "I don't need you to, I can look after myself" she raises her voice a little now.

Caleb "I know. I just want to do something for you. Let me" he takes her hand to grab the keys to her car.

Hanna "I'm too mad right now, I wanna be left alone"

Caleb "Okay, I'll just take you home, you don't even have to talk to me if you don't want to"

Hanna "Fine. Suit yourself" she finally gives up and gives him the keys, then she gets in the car and Caleb does the same.

Caleb "We should go gas up the car" he says when the car starts to beep only two blocks away from his place.

Hanna "I'll do it tomorrow. Just go straight to my place"

Caleb "It's already beeping, Hanna. It will just take a minute" he says and turns left at the next street, taking the opposite direction to Hanna's house.

Hanna gets more annoyed and crosses her arms over her chest, but doesn't say anything this time.

Caleb pulls into the gas station and after stopping the engine, he gets out of the car.

When Hanna is finally on her own, she can't hold herself together anymore and her tears win the battle. She feels frustrated, very frustrated. She can't believe Jordan. She feels a huge indignation, it outrages her the fact that she can't even meet him to have a simple talk, well, not a simple talk, she wants to end things with him, but he doesn't know that part, and she can't believe that he puts her on the end of his list of priorities. She made clear that it was something important and even so, he doesn't seem to care. She can't believe that she's engaged to someone who puts her to the last, she's not even more important to him than his job, and she was going to marry him…

Chocolate sticks his head in between the car front seats and starts to lick Hanna's tears off of her face. Hanna takes her hand to his face and strokes him, trying to calm down.

Caleb gets back in the car a few minutes later. "Han…" he says and reaches out for her hand, but Hanna jerks her hand away.

Hanna "Don't"

Caleb "Okay, I was just-"

Hanna cuts him off. "I'm okay, just take me home already"

Caleb doesn't say a word and starts the car.

When they reach Hanna's place, Caleb pulls into the driveway, gets out of the car and goes open the rear door for Chocolate. When he turns around, Hanna is standing in front of him.

Caleb "Well, I'll leave you alone…" he only says and turns around to leave.

Hanna "Take my car" she says as he walks away.

Caleb "It's okay, they are just a few blocks" he answers, not bothering to turn back around to look at her. "See you"

Hanna "Bye"

* * *

Heeey! :)

I know I took more days than usual to update, I haven't had too much time during the last days and this chapter was way too long, it took me hours to correct it today. Anyway, don't worry about Hanna's attitude over the end, it won't be big deal and you will like next chapter. Have a great weekend you all and thanks for reading! xx


	16. Chapter 16

It's afternoon and Hanna rings the doorbell at Spencer's. She takes a look toward Caleb's house as she waits for her friend to answer the door. The house seems quiet and she doesn't see people working on the outside as in the last days. She assumes that they must be working in the inside, maybe in the first floor of the house as Caleb told her. She feels sorry about how bad she treated him the night before and thinks that she should definitely stop by at his place when she leaves her friend's house and apologize to him.

Spencer "Hey, Han" she greets Hanna, interrupting her thoughts and catching her by surprise.

Hanna "Oh, hey Spence!" she says while turning to her.

Spencer "Come in, Aria is already here"

Hanna steps into the house and they go to the kitchen.

Aria "Hi, Han!"

Hanna "Hey!" she greets her back and sits on a stool next to her, at the kitchen island.

Spencer "Want some coffee?" she asks Hanna.

Hanna "Yes, please"

Spencer "Toby and I have been talking about his birthday, he doesn't want to throw a party or anything. We are just going to my parents' lake house on Friday. I thought you guys could join us on Saturday for his birthday and stay the night there of course, what do you think?"

Aria "Sounds good, I'll talk to Ezra, but I guess we are going"

Hanna "Yeah, I'm going too… It's about time we enjoy the summer, I could use some sunbathing…" she casually says, but then she raises her eyebrows and smiles amused while staring at Spencer. "Why don't you want us to go on Friday as well, though? Are you planning some kind of naughty birthday surprise for Toby?"

Spencer smiles mischievously. "Maybe… but I'm not telling you" she says and hands her a cup of coffee.

Hanna laughs.

Spencer "Well… but there's only one little detail left… the rooms" she says and looks at Hanna "Toby and I are obviously staying in the main room, Ezra and Aria, and Alison and Emily are occupying the two other rooms with double beds, so that leaves us only one more room, the one with two single beds… would you be okay with sharing that room with Caleb? Toby wants him to come as well"

Hanna "Sure, no problem"

Spencer "Great"

Aria "Well, you already shared a bed with him, a room is nothing to you" she teases Hanna.

Hanna "Did I just hear Alison?" she asks to Spencer, narrowing her eyes, pretending to be confused.

Aria laughs and nudges her with her elbow.

Hanna "Anyway, your who-sleeps-in-each-room little issue isn't solved yet"

Spencer "Why?" she asks confused.

Hanna "I was with Emily yesterday and things between her and Alison aren't going so well"

Aria "Oh, that explains why none of them are here now"

Hanna "Anyway, maybe they make up before the weekend, but you should keep it in mind"

Spencer "I hope so… it would be awkward for them even if they don't share a room"

Hanna "Uh huh… I can sleep with Alison and Emily can share the room with two beds with Caleb, I'm sure she won't mind" she offers although what she really wants is to be the one who shares the bedroom with him.

Spencer nods.

Aria "How was Camp Mona, Han?"

Hanna of course leaves out everything about she and Caleb while telling them about the party and then they change the subject and keep chatting for a while before Aria takes off, leaving only Spencer and Hanna in the house. At some point, Spencer's phone starts to ring.

Spencer "Han, I have to take this, it's from work"

Hanna nods.

Spencer "I'll be right back" she says and leaves the kitchen.

Shortly after, when Hanna is just sitting there, using her phone, she hears the front door open and then some voices coming from the living room. She recognizes them, they are Toby and Caleb. She stands up and goes there.

Hanna "Hey" she greets them.

Toby "Hanna"

Caleb "Hey, Han"

Toby "Did you see Spencer?"

Hanna "She got a call from work, I think she went upstairs"

Toby "Be right back" he tells Caleb while heading for the stairs.

Hanna "I'm really sorry for what happened last night, Caleb"

Caleb gives her a smile. "For what?"

Hanna "For treating you like shit maybe?"

Caleb chuckles. "Nothing that you hadn't done before, it was kind of a déjà vu" he jokes and shrugs. "Really, don't worry" he shoots her a reassuring smile.

Hanna "Thank you" she smiles back. "Oh, how much do I owe you for the gasoline?"

Caleb "Nothing"

Hanna rolls her eyes playfully. "I forgot that you were rich"

Caleb laughs. "I'm not rich… anyway, now that I think, a kiss would be fine"

Hanna "Okay" she says, and to his surprise, she approaches him.

Caleb smiles widely the moment Hanna wraps her arms around his neck, and of course he wraps his around her waist as well… But Hanna only places a brief kiss on his cheek.

Caleb "That kiss doesn't even cover a tenth of your debt" he chuckles and presses her body against his in a hug, then he nuzzles his nose against her neck as Hanna giggles.

Hanna "Well, I guess I'll pay you in some days then"

Caleb raises his head from her neck and looks at her. "Let's get together later?"

Hanna "Mmm… I'm going out for dinner with my dad, I think I only saw him once since I got here… tomorrow maybe?"

Caleb nods.

Hanna gives him another smile and takes one of her hands to his face, she uses her fingers to pucker his lips and presses a peck on them, catching him by surprise. Then, smiling amused, she pulls away from the embrace.

Caleb "You are torturing me"

Hanna "You asked for a kiss" she says playfully while going to sit down on the couch.

Caleb "Yeah, a real one"

Toby comes downstairs, interrupting their banter. "Let's go" he says to Caleb and heads toward the front door. "Bye, Han. See you around" he says to Hanna while opening the door.

Caleb "Bye, Han" he greets her as well before following Toby outside.

Hanna "Bye"

/

Evening.

Hanna is back at home. She is finishing touching up her make-up when her phone buzzes next to her on the dressing table. She grabs it and gets a text from her dad: "Hanna, I'm sorry but I have to cancel on you, something came up. Maybe we can reschedule for next week. See you soon"

Hanna rolls her eyes and throws her phone on her bed. What is with everyone that they just put her off for next week? she thinks as she he grabs a makeup remover wipe and cleans her face.

Hanna "Seems like it's only you and me again for dinner" she says to Chocolate who stares at her from the bed. Then she takes her clothes off and puts on her pajamas.

/

After dinner, Hanna sits down on the couch but when she intends to raise her legs as well to lie down, Chocolate jumps on the couch too and lies down himself, beating her to it and occupying almost the whole couch with his huge body.

Hanna chuckles. "Hey!" she says amused and places a hand on his head to pet him, with her free hand, she takes the remote and turns the TV on. Shortly after, she gets a text from Ashley letting her know that she won't come back home for the night, and after texting her mom back, Hanna decides to text Caleb because she just feels like chatting with him.

Hanna: "Hey :)" she only sends.

But about half an hour passes until she gets a reply from him.

Caleb: "Hey, Han. Sorry, I just saw your text. What's up? You still out with your dad?"

Hanna: "No, I'm home. What are you up to?"

Caleb: "I'm with Toby and Ezra, we are at this new craft beer bar that opened the other day. We are having some beers, wanna come?"

Hanna considers going there for a moment, especially knowing that Ezra and Toby want Caleb to meet some Rosewood girl to have fun with, but then she looks toward the window and it's raining, and on top of that, she is in her pajamas, she already removed her makeup and she knows it's Monday night and the guys won't stay there at the bar too late, it would probably take her longer to get ready than that.

Hanna: "No, thanks. I'll just go to sleep. Bye" she rereads the text after sending it, and becomes aware that maybe it seems a bit cutting, and although she doesn't like the idea of Caleb being out with Ezra and Toby, she didn't mean to be cold, so she decides to send another extra text with the smiling face emoji.

Caleb: "OK then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep tight, Han" but Caleb doesn't add a smiling face to his text, he adds a red heart at the end.

When Hanna reads the text, it takes everything inside her not to tell him to come over when he leaves the bar. She keeps herself from texting him back and stands up from the couch.

Hanna "Let's go to bed, Chocolate" she calls for the dog and heads for the stairs.

/

It's 3 am.

Hanna is sound asleep in her bed, cuddling with Chocolate when all of a sudden, a very loud thunder wakes her up and she sits up on the bed abruptly, half asleep and with her heart racing, causing Chocolate to wake up too and look at her.

She looks to the window from her bed and gets to see that it's raining cats and dogs outside. She can hear the wind hitting the window. Some lightning bolts illuminate her room for moments. It's definitely a strong storm, which brings her some really bad memories from a year ago when she lost Chocolate.

Hanna looks back at him, he is still staring at her. She's about to lie back down and hug him when another thunder catches her by surprise, giving her a start. At that moment, Chocolate jumps off of the bed and leaves the room, frightened.

Hanna "Fuck" she gets out of the bed to go after him.

When she gets downstairs, she goes straight to the dining room, and as it used to happen before, every time that a storm broke outside, she finds the dog hiding under the table.

Hanna reaches out and places her hand on his back. Just as she thought, she can feel his body shaking in fear under her palm.

Hanna "Hey, baby, it's okay. Come here" she tells him softly but the dog doesn't move.

She decides to get under the table as well and she sits next to him. She strokes his fur while trying to calm him down, but it seems like he only gets more scared as the minutes pass by and the thunders keep sounding. After a while, seeing that none of her attempts to comfort him seem to work, Hanna decides to do something different. She stands up and goes for her phone. She knows that it's not a good time to do so, but she calls Caleb.

Caleb "Hanna?" his voice sounds raspy when he answers still sleepy, which Hanna finds hot.

Hanna "Hey, I'm sorry I'm calling you this late… but it's Chocolate, he's frightened because of the storm and I don't know what to do"

Caleb "Umm… don't know" he mumbles half asleep.

Hanna "Hey! Wake up! What do I do? What did you do when he was like this?"

Caleb sits up on his bed and tries to think more clear and pay Hanna more attention after noticing her concern. "I did nothing, Han… I told you that he didn't get scared anymore"

Hanna "Well, you lied, because he´s clearly scared to death" she says as she hugs Chocolate with her free arm.

Caleb "Really, he has been alright during storms like for the last ten months. I don't know what to tell you"

Hanna "And what am I supposed to do? I can't go back to bed and just leave him here, he is hiding under the table and his body doesn't stop shaking…" she sounds very worried.

Caleb "Okay, chill… want me to come over?"

Hanna "No, I don't want to bother you, just tell me what I can do"

Caleb "I have no idea, Han…"

Hanna "Maybe he doesn't feel safe here… I would take him there with you, but I'm not sure if I will be able to get him out from his hideout and get him in the car"

Caleb "No, stay there, you can't go out with this storm, and you shouldn't drive with him so scared in the car… I'm coming over, don't worry"

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb "Uh huh… I'll be there soon"

Hanna "Thank you"

/

Some minutes later, the doorbell rings and Hanna knows that it's Caleb so she rushes to the door.

Hanna "Thank you so much for coming, I know it's pretty late" she thanks him as soon as she opens the door and moves to the side to let him in.

Caleb gives her a smile. "It's okay" he steps into the house.

Hanna "He is over here" she leads him to the dining room where Chocolate is still hiding under the table.

Caleb "Hey, buddy" he greets Chocolate with a grin on his face, as he always does, but the dog only gives him a look from his hiding place, he doesn't go welcome him as usual.

Hanna "See? He is not coming out from there no matter what we do" she says with a worried face and goes under the table to try to comfort Chocolate again.

Caleb "Well, I don't know what's wrong, he was completely fine with storms… he just ignored them" he says while staring at them.

Hanna "Maybe it's the house, the storm is too loud here and the windows just-" she doesn't finish her phrase because another thunder is heard and she and Chocolate get startled once again.

Caleb approaches the table, he moves a couple of chairs aside, crouches down and offers Hanna his hand. "I think I already know what the problem is"

Hanna takes his hand. "And what is it?" she asks very concerned as Caleb helps her up.

Caleb ignores her question and once she is standing as well, he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her against him.

Hanna "Come on, help him already" she places her hands on his shoulders.

Caleb "That's exactly what I'm doing" he kisses her cheek.

Hanna looks up at him and rolls her eyes. "Doesn't seem so" she says but stays in his embrace.

Caleb chuckles. "He is not the only one scared by the storm"

Hanna "I'm not scared"

Caleb stares at her.

Hanna "Okay, I may be a little nervous, I don't like storms so much, but I'm fine, just make him calm down"

Caleb "He won't calm down until you do, Han… you are the person he trusts the most, and he can sense that you are nervous, animals can sense those things, that's why he is scared, he thinks that something is wrong, that something will happen, and you trying to comfort him only feeds that fear… and well, all these noisy thunders don't help at all"

Hanna "So I am the problem?" she asks a little sadly.

Caleb "Hey, I didn't say that… you just need to chill and he will relax as well… just ignore the storm, fine?"

Hanna nods, staring at him.

Caleb presses a kiss on her forehead.

Hanna "And what do I do with him?"

Caleb "Nothing, he will come out from there himself at some point… don't keep trying to comfort him, he will be fine, he is just scared"

Hanna "Okay" she finally wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him back. "Stay a while?"

Caleb "Sure" he hugs her tighter and Hanna rests her cheek on his shoulder.

Caleb slides his hands underneath Hanna's pajamas top and starts to rub her back, running his palms up and down and that's how he notices that she's not wearing a bra and bites his bottom lip in an attempt to suppress a sigh.

Caleb "Wanna go watch some TV?" he suggests, he needs to get distracted.

Hanna "Yeah, but you have to keep massaging my back like that" she pulls away from him and gives him a smile. "You are good"

Caleb smiles back and they head to the living room where they sit down on the couch. Hanna turns the TV on and gets closer to Caleb to cuddle against his side. He happily wraps an arm around her and slides his hand back underneath her top to keep rubbing her back just like she asked him. He focuses his attention on the TV as he draws random patterns with his fingertips on her very soft skin. But some minutes later, his eyes are back on Hanna, he stares at her face, taking in her perfect features which are dimly lit by the TV screen. And although Hanna is focused on the show that they are watching, she can feel Caleb's gaze on her.

Hanna smiles amused. "Stop staring" she tells him, without taking her eyes off of the screen.

Caleb "Stop being so cute then" he shoots back and causes her to grin. "You are making it harder with that smile" he stops stroking her back but keeps his palm on her lower back.

Hanna laughs and finally looks up at him. "Can I go check on Chocolate now?"

Caleb "No, you can't"

Hanna "Just take a look?"

Caleb shakes his head. "Don't worry, he's fine… allow him some time and he will probably show up over here himself"

Hanna nods.

Caleb takes his free hand to her cheek and runs his thumb along her bottom lip. Another thunder catches Hanna by surprise making her jump a little, but she quickly relaxes and gives Caleb a slight smile. A smile that he doesn't return this time because his eyes are locked to hers and his relaxed face with his slightly open mouth only shows how bad he wants her, and by the time his eyes drop to her mouth Hanna has already decided that whatever he does next, she won't stop him.

And she read him very well, because his next move closes the distance between their faces and in no time, Hanna feels his lips pressing against hers, then she feels his lips part and embrace her entire mouth before they close around her bottom lip and squeeze it between them, making her heart race faster than the storm did before. Hanna takes one hand to his face as well and the other one to his neck as she joins him in the kiss.

Hanna starts to feel Caleb's fingers scratching softly her lower back where he still has his palm pressed against her, which he is also using to keep her close to him, so she moves the hand that she has on his neck to his nape and does the same there, she gently scratches her nails there while slightly pulling him further toward her, asking him for more deepness. Caleb tilts his head to the side and pushes his tongue into her mouth, and Hanna is more than happy to welcome it with hers.

The kiss keeps growing as the minutes pass by. It gets wetter and more passionate, and their breaths become heavier as well. At some point Caleb wraps his arms around Hanna's waist and pulls her onto his lap. Letting herself go with the passion of the moment, Hanna straddles him, wraps her arms around his neck, and keeps kissing him. Once again, Caleb slides his hands underneath her pajamas top, but this time he places his palms on her sides, he caresses her by running his hands up on her skin from her hips, but he stops right before reaching the height where the sides of her breasts protrude from her torso and then he runs his palms back down. He repeats the move again and again, always being careful not to go too up, but what he doesn't know is that that is exactly what Hanna's body craves for, and it gets worse each time that his hands make their way up but don't reach the spot where Hanna wants them.

The make-out session lasts for some more minutes before Hanna suddenly breaks the kiss, and remaining in his embrace, she lies her torso on his and rests her head into the crook of his neck, her face against his skin.

Hanna "We gotta stop" she says and her warm breath hits his skin. "We can't do this… well, I can't" she corrects herself.

Caleb "I know, Han… but this no-kisses thing is not working either" he squeezes her against him.

Hanna "Yeah, I know… I didn't mean the kisses… I'm kind of over that stupid idea, I know we can't help it"

Caleb smiles. "So?"

Hanna "I need a little break right now, from all this kissing, that's all… I just don't want to get to that point where I can't think clearly, I don't want to end up doing something that I could regret later... and I am very close to that right now"

Caleb "Hey… I know you don't want to cheat on Jordan that way, I wouldn't-"

Hanna cuts him off. "I'm not talking about that" She raises her head from his neck to look at him. "He's not the only reason why I don't want to end up sleeping with you right now… this is about us… I don't want our first time to be tainted, I don't want to have any thoughts at the back of my mind telling me that I am doing something wrong. Of course I don't want to do something like that to Jordan, but it's only a part. I'm thinking about us now, I want this to start well, whatever this is, it deserves to have a good start…" she rests her head on his shoulder. "And I want you so bad right now… I just need to stop for a little while… cool off" she confesses now that she's no longer making eye contact.

Caleb smiles widely, she is cute even while admitting that she's horny.

Caleb "I think that's a very good reason to wait, Han"

What she just told him makes him really happy, because now he knows that Jordan is not the only reason why Hanna doesn't want to get to the next level with him, she has a very good reason not to do so, and now that he is aware of it, he couldn't be in more agreement with her, he wants the same.

But he also comes out with a different solution, one that he thinks that is much better than just taking a break from kissing.

Caleb "But I think there are other things that we can try in the meanwhile…" he takes one of his hands to her face and makes her look up at him. "I want to please you, Han… let me"

Hanna smiles shyly while looking down to avoid his look again.

Caleb smiles too. "You don't have to answer right now" he leans in and connects their lips again in a tender kiss.

Hanna kisses him back for some seconds until she stops it only to speak. "I'll let you" she says very softly against his lips and resumes the kiss.

Then she takes Caleb's hands and leads them back underneath her top, but this time she makes sure to place them exactly where she wants them. A spontaneous brief moan escapes Caleb's mouth the moment he feels Hanna's boobs pressed under his palms, he didn't see that coming. And the next moan comes from Hanna's mouth, soft and just as spontaneous as Caleb's, as soon as he squeezes her breasts and starts to massage them gently. Hanna takes her hands off of Caleb's now and places them on his face, trying to lead the kiss that has become a little messy now. But she only manages to take the control of their kissing for some seconds, because Caleb lets go of her mouth to take his to her neck.

The expression on Hanna's face is a mix of happiness, joy and pleasure as Caleb keeps working on her neck and her chest. Her lips are curled up into a smile but that smile is interrupted for moments when her lips part and her mouth relaxes to let out a deep breath or even an inevitable shy moan.

Hanna "Umm… let's go upstairs"

Caleb stops moving his hands but he keeps them on her chest, he places one last kiss on her neck and raises his head from there to look at her. "There's no one else in the house, right?" he asks now, he completely forgot that unlike him, Hanna doesn't live alone.

Hanna smiles and shakes her head before starting another kiss. Caleb squeezes her breasts once more before taking his hands off of them. He wraps his arms around her thighs and stands up from the couch, carrying her along with him. Once he's on his feet, he pulls away from the kiss to be able to see where he walks and heads to the stairs. Hanna wraps her arms around his neck, holding onto him. When they get upstairs, Caleb starts to walk toward the guest room without thinking, since that's the room where they slept the night that he stayed in her house.

Hanna "Not there, baby… to my room"

Caleb looks at her with a huge smile on his face, he is not sure what makes him happy the most, she calling him 'baby' again, or the fact that she wants him in her room this time.

Hanna chuckles. "What?" she asks, not getting why he is staring at her that way.

Caleb "Nothing… let's go to your room then"

Once they get in Hanna's bedroom, Caleb lies her down on the bed and gets on top of her right away to reconnect their lips in another passionate kiss. Hanna reaches out to turn the bedside lamp on blindly, and then she runs her hands through his hair as she kisses him desperately. But Caleb doesn't waste any time and takes his hands to the waistband of the mini shorts of her pajamas. He kisses her a little longer but then he pulls away and lowers his body as he pulls her shorts down her legs and once he gets them off, he doesn't go back to kissing her mouth, he lifts her top a little, uncovering her flat tummy and that is where he places his lips this time. He starts to place open mouthed kisses, licking and sucking her skin, but when he runs his mouth down, at the same time as he takes his hands to the edge of her panties, he feels Hanna's hand on his cheek.

Hanna "Caleb…" she makes him look at her.

Caleb pulls back from her body and looks up at her.

Hanna "I… I don't want that…" she says softly.

Caleb can't tell if she is uncomfortable, repentant or unsure, but he goes back up and Hanna is the one that looks for his mouth again and kisses him just as passionately as she did seconds ago, so that lets him know that she still wants him, and it also makes him think that maybe what he tried was just too much intimate for her, it's the first time they do something sexual after all.

Caleb "Okay… maybe something else?" he interrupts the kiss and asks her softly.

Hanna nods and Caleb gives her a smile before resuming the kiss. Without parting their lips, he moves to the mattress to lie down on his side, that way, his torso is hovering over her as they kiss and he also passes an arm in between the pillow and her neck, wrapping it around her to keep her close. He lowers his free hand and places it on her stomach.

Caleb "Is this okay?" he asks against her lips as he brushes his fingertips on the edge of her panties.

Hanna "Uh huh" she answers between kissing.

Now, with her permission, Caleb slides his hand underneath her panties and runs it down slowly and very gently until his palm is cupping her, and although he doesn't move his hand too much yet, he gets a soft moan from Hanna's mouth, followed by a bite on his bottom lip, and that encourages him to go on. He starts to move his hand against her, a little up, a little down, rubbing her most sensitive part very softly.

Caleb "God, Han…" he lets out a gasp at feeling how wet she already is for him. "Does it feel good?"

Hanna "Huh.." she only says and spreads her legs for him.

With a better access, Caleb places two fingers in between her lips and presses them against her, still going up and down, stroking her better, making her moan again and again against his mouth, but those are shy moans. He knows that she is holding herself back not to be so loud and although he would love to hear her moaning out loud, he finds that cute, and he knows that they will have time for more another time. Caleb decides to stop teasing her now and takes his fingers further up, he places his fingertips on her clit and starts to rub circles on it, which sends a shock through Hanna's whole body.

Hanna "Caleb" she moans his name.

He keeps stroking her, alternating the pressure and the pace of his moves against her and shortly after, Hanna starts to feel a pressure building in her stomach and her back arches off the mattress.

Caleb "That is, babe… come for me"

Caleb's words send her right to her edge and her legs start to shake, she finally reaches her climax and pulls away from his mouth to gasp while trying to get some air. Caleb stares at her the whole time, astonished by the cute, hot, breath-taking face that she has while coming, something that he dreamed of a lot of times, but getting to finally see it is way better than he imagined, she's beautiful, and her shut eyes along with her slightly open mouth just blow his mind.

Hanna finally makes eye contact with him and gives him a smile, still trying to catch up with her breath. Caleb smiles back and presses several kisses on her blushing cheek. Hanna turns her face to the side to meet his lips again and they share a very tender kiss.

Caleb "You are so fucking beautiful" he pulls a little back just to stare at her face again.

Hanna grins and takes the opportunity to lift her body from the mattress and sit up. "You are" she says and places her hand on Caleb's shoulder. She pushes him back and makes him lie down on his back, then she gets on top of him and starts to kiss his neck. But as soon as she lowers a hand, caressing his torso through the fabric of his t-shirt on her way down, Caleb stops her, he takes her hand in his.

Hanna "What's wrong?" she asks confused and looks up at him.

Caleb "You don't have to"

Hanna "But I want to… and you want it too, I can feel you"

Caleb didn't even try to hide his arousal this time, it was impossible given the situation in which they were moments ago, but it wasn't his intention to have her doing something for him in return either.

Caleb "Let's just ignore that"

Hanna "Why?"

Caleb "Because it's about you tonight"

Hanna "Oh, come on… I just-"

Caleb "I won't let you" he cuts her off. "Maybe next time… I do want you" he gives her a reassuring smile. "But I just wanted to do something for you this time, okay?" he turns to his side, laying Hanna back on the mattress, so now they are both lying on their sides, facing each other.

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb nods and reaches out to place a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Hanna "Okay… but you are staying the night then"

Caleb smiles. "Okay"

Hanna gets closer to him and presses a soft kiss on his lips, then she pulls away and gets up from the bed. "I'll just go use the bathroom" she says while grabbing clean panties from her closet. "Be right back"

Caleb "Fine… just don't go with Chocolate"

Hanna smiles mischievously. "Hey! I hadn't thought of that, but now that you mention…" she says playfully.

Caleb "If I hear you going downstairs, I'll go home" he threatens.

Hanna rolls her eyes. "Fine, I won't" she says before leaving the room.

Shortly after, she gets back and finds Caleb already under the covers, he has taken his jeans off, but not his t-shirt, he kept it on. Hanna gets in the bed as well and the first thing she does is grab the edge of his t-shirt in her hands.

Hanna "Let's take this off" she says smiley while pulling it up. "I like you shirtless"

Caleb raises an eyebrow and shoots her an amused smile, but he helps her to take it off. "Okay, but you have to wear it then" he hands her the t-shirt.

Hanna smiles even more and takes it, then she sits up and turns around to change her pajamas top for his t-shirt, her back to him not to torture him anymore, since he is not letting her give him any relief. But as much as she tries, just the sight of her bare back itself makes him take a deep breath and swallow.

Now, happy in Caleb's t-shirt, Hanna turns back around and lies down on her side, facing him. She presses a soft kiss on his lips before resting her head on the pillow.

Hanna "You make me so happy, you have no idea how much"

Caleb smiles. He takes her hand, intertwining their fingers, and rests their joined hands on the mattress between them.

Caleb "You too, babe"

Hanna grins.

There are a few seconds of silent, they just staring at each other, until Hanna speaks again.

Hanna "How did you do at the bar? Did you have a good time?" she casually asks.

Caleb "Yeah, it was a nice place, good music, and the craft beer was really good"

Hanna "Were there many people?"

Caleb "Well, there were a fair amount of people to be a Monday night"

Hanna "And there were just the three of you? Did you talk to someone else? I mean, didn't you meet someone there? Didn't Toby or Ezra run into someone they knew or something?"

Caleb chuckles. "Why so many questions?"

Hanna "I'm just curious, this is a small town… you run into people all the time" she just says.

Caleb smiles amused. "Does it have anything to do with what Toby and Ezra were talking about the other day?"

Hanna "No, what did they say? I don't even remember" she plays dumb.

Caleb smirks, knowing that she knows pretty well what he is talking about. "I told them that I was seeing someone anyway, so they didn't even try to set me up with anyone"

Hanna "You told them that you were seeing someone?"

Caleb "Yeah, I didn't lie… I just didn't mention that it was you"

Hanna smiles.

Caleb "Did you really think that I would be interested in having something with someone else?"

Hanna shrugs. "You did seem interested in Sabrina the other night, and I'm sure that Alison didn't introduced her to you saying that she was gay right away"

Caleb chuckles, he finds her jealousy kind of cute and fun, it also makes him feel flattered, like she really cares about him. "I only stayed with her not to stick to Emily and Alison, or to you, of course. I was just trying to keep myself away from you, I was avoiding you, you already know why, and I was there with Alison and Emily, being the third wheel, you also know pretty well how it feels to be the third wheel… Ali just introduced us, we started to chat, I was trying to be kind, she seemed a nice girl and I didn't know anyone else at the party. Anyway, she casually mentioned this girl that she was seeing, so I learned pretty soon that she was gay, but it doesn't matter because I wasn't interested in her that way"

Hanna "Well, you are single, you can do whatever you want anyway"

Caleb "You know very well what I want" he gets closer to her and presses a kiss against the tip of her nose. "I'm not getting myself into all of this for nothing, I'm not enduring a lot of things just to be with someone else at the end… I only want to be with you" He gets serious now. "I thought I had made it clear the other day… I'm waiting for you, Hanna"

Hanna "Yeah, I know… I'm sorry… and I also want to apologize again for treating you so bad last night, I'm really sorry, I felt so bad after you left, I-"

Caleb cuts her off. "It's okay, you warned me that you were mad, I chose to stay with you anyway"

Hanna "Still… it's not fair that you had to pay for Jordan's shit, I shouldn't have treated you so bad… I kind of lose it when I am so pissed off, but I'll try to hold myself together next time"

Caleb nods. "I know that you are going through a break-up, it must be hard… This is such a very complicated circumstance to start something, but I'm willing to take everything that comes with you, you only have to let me do so"

Hanna "Thank you" she smiles, he's so understanding. "I'll try to sort my things out as soon as possible, I promise"

Caleb nods. "Look who is here" he smiles while looking past Hanna, toward the door.

Hanna rolls over to take a look as well and grins. "Hey, baby… come here"

Chocolate approaches the bed and takes a look as if he wanted to jump on, but there's no room.

Caleb "Let's make some room for him" he wraps his arm around Hanna's waist and pulls her toward him, pressing her back against him, spooning her.

Now that half of the bed is free, Chocolate finally jumps on and lies down next to Hanna.

Hanna "This is so perfect" she reaches out and pets Chocolate.

Caleb starts to press soft kisses on her neck. "Yeah… but we are getting him a dog bed"

Hanna "He's got one, but he never uses it"

Caleb "He had one in Allentown as well, and he did use it… he will have to start doing it again"

Hanna "Why? The three of us cuddling feels so good, all squished together"

Caleb "Yeah, you won't think the same when you feel like fucking" he just says, casually, as he keeps kissing her neck, and it causes Hanna to laugh out loud.

Hanna "Caleb!"

Caleb "What? You tell me in a few days if I am mistaken"

Hanna "I guess you are right" she says amused and reaches out to turn the bedside lamp off. "Isn't there any good night kiss for me?"

Caleb abandons her neck and they join their mouths in a tender kiss in the darkness.

* * *

Wow, I'm writing such long chapters lately haha. I hope this chapter makes up for the previous one which was kind of shitty and ended even shittier with Hanna treating Caleb really bad, anyway, it had to happen :) But this one ends well!

As always, thank you for reading, thank you for your reviews, thank you for letting me know your opinions :) xx


	17. Chapter 17

Next morning.

When Caleb wakes up and opens his eyes, Hanna is no longer in the bed, neither is Chocolate.

Caleb "Hanna?" he calls for her but gets no answer, so he stretches his arms and checks the time on his phone before getting up from the bed.

He goes grab his jeans from the chair where he left them the night before and he finds his t-shirt there as well, the one that Hanna wore for bed. After getting dressed and using the bathroom, he goes downstairs to look for Hanna, and he finds her in the kitchen, sitting at the table, already dressed and with her hair wet, after a shower he thinks.

Caleb "Hey" he greets her, making her look up at him.

Hanna "Morning, baby" she greets back, with a huge smile on her face.

Caleb "What are you doing?" he asks while taking a look at the table. He sees her sketchbook in front of her.

Hanna "Just putting down on paper a few ideas that came to my mind this morning… I woke up pretty early and couldn't go back to sleep"

Caleb smiles. "You should have woken me up" he says while getting closer to her. "With a kiss, maybe"

Hanna smiles too. "I'll keep that in mind for next time"

Caleb leans forward and connects their lips, starting a gentle kiss. He wraps an arm around her and makes her stand up. He sits down on her chair himself, just to pull her down onto his lap after, never breaking the kiss. He keeps his arms around her waist and she wraps hers around his neck.

Caleb "Will you let me take a look this time?" he asks after pulling away from her lips, gesturing toward Hanna's sketchbook with his gaze.

Hanna nods and presses a kiss on his temple. He unwraps an arm from her waist and takes it. He goes through the pages, paying attention to each design on them. After a while, he looks up at Hanna.

Caleb "They are really good, Han"

Hanna smiles. "You say that only because I am the one who made them"

Caleb smiles too. "Well, I told you that I know nothing about fashion, but I guess I could distinguish a good dress from an ugly one… besides, I just picture them on you and I can tell that they are amazing"

Hanna "It doesn't count"

Caleb chuckles. "I guess it doesn't..." he agrees. "I would like you even if you wore the most hideous dress ever… I loved seeing you in my Camp Mona t-shirt"

Hanna laughs. She takes his face between her hands and starts to smooch him. Caleb smiles amused against her mouth and Hanna takes advantage of that slight opening of his mouth to slide her tongue in. They are so focused on kissing that they don't hear the front door open or the steps approaching.

Ashley freezes in her tracks as soon as she gets into the kitchen and her eyes catch Hanna and Caleb.

Hanna pulls back from Caleb's mouth right away. "Oh, hey, mom…" she says a little embarrassed while taking her hand to her mouth.

Caleb looks way more embarrassed than Hanna. "Hi, Ashley" he only says.

Ashley tries to hold back an amused smile but fails. "Good morning" she says and lays her purse on the kitchen island.

Hanna moves from Caleb's lap to the chair next to him.

Ashley "What a storm last night! The power went out at Ted's. Was everything okay here?" she asks, trying to make some conversation as she pours herself a cup of the coffee that Hanna made a while ago.

Hanna "Yes… Chocolate got a little scared, but that was all"

Ashley "Poor puppy… where's he now?"

Hanna "In the backyard, he asked to go out… I thought you would go straight to the Radley"

Ashley "I just stopped by to take a shower, which I'll go do right now" she heads back to the kitchen door, taking her cup of coffee with her. "I wasn't planning to spend the night out, so I didn't take extra clothes with me" she explains before leaving the room.

Caleb "Shit, that was awkward as fuck" he tells Hanna after hearing Ashley go upstairs.

Hanna "Yeah, it was" she agrees but can't help smiling amused.

Caleb "Well, I should leave" he says serious, unlike Hanna.

Hanna "Why? Stay a little longer"

Caleb "But your mom just-"

Hanna cuts him off. "It's okay, I'll talk to her later… stay" she takes his hand. "Let's have breakfast"

Caleb "Okay, I guess I can stay a little while… but I gotta get home in less than an hour, the painters are finishing the rooms upstairs today"

Hanna "What time will your furniture be delivered today?"

Caleb "Afternoon… you are coming, right?"

Hanna chuckles. "You want me to help you carry the couch?"

Caleb smiles and pecks her lips. "No, I want you to be there to tell everyone what to do and where to put each thing… you are pretty good at giving orders"

Hanna narrows her eyes. "Is that a good thing? Or you are just criticizing me?"

Caleb grins. "It's a good thing, I promise…" he presses several kisses on her cheek.

/

Caleb leaves shortly after.

Hanna is cleaning up the kitchen when Ashley gets back there.

Ashley "Is Caleb gone?" she asks while placing the cup that she took with her before on the kitchen countertop.

Hanna "Yeah, he had things to do"

Ashley "Did he spend the night here?" she asks, although she already knows that he did.

Hanna "Listen, mom" she starts saying and turns to look at her. "I know this is not right, but Caleb and I… we… what you saw…" she doesn't find the words to explain herself. "We can't help it, I know it's wrong, but-"

Ashley cuts her off. "Hey, it's okay honey, you don't have to explain anything to me. I was wrong the other day at the Radley. You are still so young, live your life. I just don't want you to make bad decisions… and I don't know why you are still engaged to a man that you obviously don't love"

Hanna falls silent while staring at her mom. She was expecting from her mother a reaction more similar to the one that she had a few days ago when they ran into each other at the Radley after she stayed the night at Caleb's room.

Ashley "I don't know why you are still wearing that ring… being that clearly someone else is occupying your thoughts"

Hanna "I'm sorry mom… I'm not a cheater, I don't want to be like dad, it's just that-"

Ashley interrupts her once again. "Hey, don't misunderstand me, I am not judging you baby, I just want you to do what makes you happy. If you want to be with Caleb, why don't you do things right when you have the chance to do so? You know what you have to do… or maybe you aren't sure about what you want right now, I don't know what's going on between you and Caleb, if it is something serious or not, it's okay either way, and even if there wasn't anyone else, you shouldn't stay in a relationship with someone who doesn't make you happy"

Hanna nods. "That's what I'm trying to do, mom… but it's not so easy… Jordan is making this so hard. I asked him to talk, but he said he is too busy this week and he's not making any effort to make some time to meet up… I can't break up with him over the phone, he doesn't deserve it… but I feel like he knows that I want to end things with him and he's trying to avoid that or something" she says, with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I feel like trapped for moments, but I'm trying to do this right, I really am"

Ashley approaches her and pulls her into a hug. "If he is not making any effort to see you, then I am not so sure that he doesn't deserve to be left over the phone…"

Hanna relaxes in her mom's arms and rests her head on her shoulder. "But I feel so guilty… Talking to him in person is the least I can do after… what I am doing with Caleb" her voice cracks a little.

Ashley "It's okay baby… what you are doing is not so terrible… don't compare yourself to your father" she says, going back to what Hanna said before. "You are not a cheater, you are only twenty-four, and yes, you are still an adult, but you don't even have a family to take care of, you are not even married, baby… You can still do things right. Just do what makes you happy" she presses a kiss through Hanna's hair.

Hanna "Thank you, mom" she says and pulls away from the hug. "And I am sure about Caleb, by the way… I want to be with him" she smiles slightly.

Ashley smiles back. "I love you" she only says, feeling really proud of her daughter.

Hanna "I love you too"

/

Evening.

Caleb's house.

Spencer, Toby and Ezra have showed up there after work to help Caleb set everything up, and Hanna of course joined them a little after. Now that most of the furniture is already in its place, the guys are installing the washing machine and the dryer in the laundry. Hanna and Spencer instead are sitting on Caleb's new couch in the living room. They are using his laptop to buy some things online for his house.

Spencer "Are you sure he wants all these things? Shouldn't we ask him before making the payment?"

Hanna "No, it's fine… he left us his credit card, he knows the risks" she shrugs and starts to entry the credit card details.

Spencer "If you say so…"

Hanna smiles. "He has gone shopping with me several times, he knows how I am when it comes to shopping"

Spencer chuckles. "Well, I have to admit that the moment I saw this beautiful living room, I knew that you had been involved in buying the furniture"

Hanna "Yeah… and his presents for your baby would have been hideous if I hadn't been there too" she says proudly.

At that moment, Spencer spots Caleb going through the hallway toward another room.

Spencer "Hey, Caleb" she calls for him.

Caleb turns around and walks into the living room.

Spencer "Wanna check this before we end the purchase?"

Caleb "No, it's fine… I trust you two"

Spencer "You sure? Hanna picked like a lot of things"

Caleb chuckles. "Yeah, I knew she would, it's okay" he says and turns around to go on his way.

Hanna gives Spencer an I-told-you-so smile and looks back to the screen to press the last click that confirms the purchase.

Spencer "So you two are still hanging out as much as always…"

Hanna "Uh huh"

Spencer "He told Toby that he is seeing someone… but you already know that, right?"

Hanna "Yeah…"

Spencer "And you are okay with that?"

Hanna chooses to remain silent, she doesn't want to lie to her friend, because for what Spencer knows, she is still happily engaged to Jordan, but she's not ready to tell her the truth yet, there's no way she's telling her that she is the one that Caleb is seeing, so she just ignores her question and changes the subject.

Hanna "So… when is your first ultrasound?"

Spencer "In two weeks… I'm so anxious, I can't wait to see the baby. I hope we can get a picture… you will still be in Rosewood in two weeks, right?"

Hanna "Yeah, I'll be here" she gives her a smile.

Toby shows up there now. "Hey, Caleb wants us to stay and order some pizza, is that okay with you? Or you are too tired?" he asks Spencer.

Spencer "Yes, sure, let's stay"

Toby "What about you, Han?"

Hanna "I'm in"

/

Later.

The guys are sitting at the table in Caleb's new dining room, they are having dinner while chatting and laughing as always. Hanna is quiet though, she is smiley and she laughs along with the guys when they do, but she's not taking part in the lively conversation. She is too focused on Caleb, her eyes on him, taking in every expression that his face makes while joking around with the guys, and each time that he grins or laughs, it gives her butterflies in her stomach.

Spencer "Han, you okay?"

Hanna "Yeah, why?" she asks confused at her question, but still smiley.

Spencer "Because you barely touched your pizza, maybe?" she says amused while gesturing toward Hanna's plate where there is still more than half of her first slice when everyone else is having their second or third one.

Hanna "Oh" she chuckles. "I guess I'm not too hungry…" she shrugs.

Truth is that she was too focused on Caleb and she didn't even realize that she wasn't eating until Spencer mentioned it, and she wasn't aware of her lack of hunger either until now.

Toby "Not too hungry?" he laughs. "Check her temperature, she must have a high fever or something" he tells Spencer.

Caleb laughs. "She's definitely burning up with fever"

Spencer places her hand on Hanna's forehead, playing along.

Hanna "Stop making fun of me" she smiles amused and moves Spencer's hand away. "I'm just not hungry"

Toby "Maybe feeling a little sick?"

Ezra "Seems like Jordan hit the mark when he was here" he adds amused.

Caleb stops laughing and takes a sip from his glass.

Spencer "Want me to get you an appointment with my obstetrician, Han?"

Hanna rolls her eyes this time, not finding it funny anymore. "I'm fine. Stop fucking with me"

Spencer "We were just kidding… it would be great, though" she smiles at Hanna.

Toby "So… Caleb" he starts to say, changing the subject. "When are you introducing us your girl?"

'Awesome' is what Hanna thinks right away, they jump from an awkward topic to another one.

Caleb "Maybe next week" he just says and shrugs.

Toby "Why next week? You should bring her to the lake house this weekend"

Spencer "We haven't any more rooms, babe" she reminds Toby.

Caleb "It's okay, she has a few things to solve first anyway" he gives Hanna a brief look and then takes another bite of his pizza.

Hanna "Have you talked to Emily or Ali?" she asks to Spencer, she was planning to talk to her about that in private, or at least not at the table with the boys, but she needs something to move on from the awkward topic.

Spencer "Yeah, I talked to Ali, she said she wanted to sort things out with Emily, so she was totally fine with spending the weekend at the lake all together… I told her that I would talk to Emily and see if she was okay with it too, but she said she would talk to Em herself"

Hanna "Well, that's good"

Toby "You girls are so complicated… I hope we have a boy" he tells Spencer, playfully.

Spencer only rolls her eyes at him, but she does it with a smile on her face because she can't help smiling every time that he talks about their baby.

They keep chatting and joking around until at some point the doorbell rings.

Toby "Are you expecting someone?"

Caleb shakes his head no, looking surprised at hearing the doorbell, and he stands up from his chair.

Ezra "Seems like we are meeting your girl sooner than we thought" he jokes as Caleb leaves the room to go answer the door.

Spencer looks at Hanna, checking on her, looking for a hint of jealousy or awkwardness maybe, but to her surprise, Hanna looks very relaxed.

Caleb gets back a few seconds later. "Han… it's for you"

Hanna "What?" she asks confused.

Caleb "It's a delivery for you"

Hanna "For me?" she says surprised while getting up from her chair. "Who would send me something here?" she asks while following Caleb to the front door.

Caleb "I don't know… seems strange"

Delivery guy "Are you Hanna Marin?" he asks her from the door.

Hanna "Yes…"

Delivery guy "This is for you" he hands her a big bouquet of flowers and a teddy bear but she doesn't take them.

Hanna "This must be a mistake, this is not even my house"

Delivery guy "No, if you are Hanna Marin, then there's no mistake"

Hanna "Who sent this?"

Delivery guy "I don't know, I'm just doing my work here, would you please just take it? I'm not staying here all night long" he says while handing her the presents once more.

Caleb "Hey, there's no need to be so rude, she was just asking" he tells the guy and takes the flowers and the bear himself and gives them to Hanna, then he closes the door in the guy's face. "Is there a card or something?" he asks Hanna.

Hanna takes a look and finds a little envelope hooked to the bouquet, she opens it and reads the note inside. "You are more important to me than any stupid fight, I love you" and the most stranger thing is that it is a handwriting, and not any handwriting, it's Jordan's.

Hanna looks up at Caleb. "They are from Jordan" she says softly.

Caleb "Oh…"

Hanna "How would he know that I am here?"

Caleb "Didn't you mention to him that you were coming over today?"

Hanna shakes her head. "No, I didn't… and even if I had, he doesn't know your address"

Caleb "Well, he does know that I live in the house next to Toby's, and this is the only house next to his… maybe you don't remember telling him that you were coming"

Hanna "I haven't talked to him since the other night in your car"

Caleb only purses his lips.

Hanna "I'm sorry about this" she says sadly and with an apologetic look on her face.

Caleb "It's not your fault" he says and really means it, although he also feels somehow upset, not with her, but the situation itself bothers him a lot.

Hanna "I'll leave now" she says and goes to the living room to get her purse from the couch where she left it before.

Caleb "Hey, stay a little longer… the guys are not leaving yet and-" he follows her.

Hanna "No, I need to talk to Jordan… You were right before, I have to get my things solved"

Caleb "What do you mean?"

Hanna "I'm calling him to end things" she says while sliding her engagement ring off of her finger.

Caleb smiles slightly. "Really?"

Hanna "Uh huh… he's not making any effort to see me anyway and I'm done with all this shit" she throws the ring into her purse.

Caleb approaches her and takes her face in his hands, but right when he is about to kiss her, Hanna's phone starts to ring in her purse, so he releases her face to let her answer it. She grabs her phone and takes a look, it's Jordan.

Hanna "It's him" she tells Caleb as she takes her phone to her ear to answer the call. "Hi" she only says.

Jordan "Babe… you just received my presents, didn't you?"

Hanna "Yeah, how do you know?"

Jordan "I asked the delivery service to let me know as soon as you received them… did you like them?"

Hanna "Yeah… Can I call you back? I'm on my way back home" she tells him. She won't make the same mistake as the other night, she is not talking to Jordan again while being with Caleb.

Jordan "Sure… I'll be waiting"

Hanna "Okay, I'll call you right away. Bye" she ends the call and puts her phone back into her purse. Then, she looks up at Caleb who is staring at her with no expression on his face, he is feeling a little upset again. She approaches him and places her hand on his face "I'll see you tomorrow, fine?" she says while caressing his cheek with her thumb. "I'm sorting this out tonight so I can finally be with you the way I want"

Caleb nods.

Hanna takes a quick look past him just to make sure that none of their friends is around and then leans in to give Caleb a tender kiss on his lips. But Caleb wraps his arms around her, and squeezing her against his body, he makes that tender kiss a passionate one.

Hanna pulls away a few seconds later. "I gotta go now" she says and smiles at him.

Caleb "Okay…"

Hanna "Say goodbye to the guys for me… just tell them that I had to go"

Caleb nods and opens the door for her.

Hanna "Good night"

Caleb "Night, baby"

Hanna can't resist placing another kiss on his lips before leaving.

/

Hanna gets home, and after greeting Chocolate as always, she goes straight to her bedroom, ready to have the talk with Jordan that she has been wanting to have for days. She sits on her bed, resting on the pillows and the dog lies down next to her. She takes a deep breath and starts the call.

Jordan "Hanna" he answers very fast and with excitement.

But Hanna's greeting is distant.

Hanna "Hey" she only says.

Jordan "You didn't like my presents, did you?"

Hanna "It's not that…" she says although indeed she didn't like his presents, they were so impersonal, a teddy bear and flowers? Such a cliché. She found them hideous the moment she saw them, but she would never tell that to him because she knows that he meant well, and just the thought counts after all. "I liked them, but I think we need to have a talk… a real talk once and for all"

Jordan "You know what? I saw that teddy bear and I thought that you would like it… I bought it myself this morning and sent it there to Rosewood, that's why the delivery arrived so late"

That explains his handwriting on the note, Hanna thinks right away. But it doesn't explain how he knew that she would be at Caleb's.

Hanna "How did you know where to send it, though?" she suddenly asks.

Jordan "Well, I sent it to your house, and since I asked the delivery service to confirm me that you received it, they told me that there wasn't anyone at your place to receive the shipment… so I just tracked your phone and find out that you were at that address, which I supposed was Caleb's house"

Hanna "You tracked my phone?"

Jordan "Yes, what's wrong? I asked George to track your GPS location… I just wanted you to receive my presents today… I couldn't bear another day without talking to you"

Hanna "You know you could call me anyway, you didn't need to send anything to me"

Jordan "Yes, I know. But I screwed up the other night… and I saw that teddy bear and thought that it would be a nice way to apologize"

Hanna "It's not enough, Jordan… you don't fix things with presents, we need to talk"

Jordan "I know. We will talk when we get together"

Hanna "No, we are talking now"

Jordan "Thought you wanted to meet up"

Hanna "Yes, but that was before. I can't wait anymore"

Jordan "Well, I'll be in Boston the day after tomorrow, do you want to get together there? I'm sure that any of your friends can take care of Chocolate for a couple of days"

Hanna "No, that is what I asked you for before, and you didn't listen to me. Now it is different, I've gotten to a point where I feel like I'll explode any moment if I don't talk to you now"

Jordan "Listen, George booked us at this beautiful hotel spa, you can come as well and relax at the spa, or go shopping while we are at the meetings and then we can spend the rest of the time together, we can talk as much as you want, we can-"

Hanna "Jordan, I am not going there. I don't want any of that. I didn't want to tell you this over the phone, but you left me no choice. I think we should split up"

Jordan "Please, Hanna. You can't be serious. I know we have been having a few problems lately, but we can work them out… I know that it seems like I haven't been listening to you, to what you need, but it's not like that… I know that I neglected you these last weeks but don't think, not even for a moment, that I don't care about you, because I do. I love you so much, Hanna. And I have been trying to make it up to you. This was supposed to be a surprise, but I guess I should tell you now… I have gotten in touch with a wedding planner in Rosewood…"

Hanna "You what?" she asks very surprised.

Jordan "I want to marry you as soon as possible, Han… I was waiting for this woman to confirm me what date she could save us to let you know about all this, since it's pretty complicated to find an available date and plan a whole wedding in a month, you know? but I was going to talk to you about it next week so you could pick yourself a dress"

Hanna falls silent. She can't believe what she is hearing.

Jordan "Han?"

Hanna "God, Jordan… We are in such different places" it's all that she manages to say. She was planning to leave him when he was planning their wedding. It annoys her, his cluelessness annoys her.

Jordan "So you don't want to marry me anymore?"

Hanna "Didn't you listen to me? I just told you that I think that we should break up, Jordan"

Jordan "I know, Hanna… but only some days ago, we were talking about getting a new apartment, what changed so fast? We are engaged, it wasn't crazy of me starting to plan the wedding…"

Hanna "I'm not even wearing my engagement ring, Jordan. I took it off today but it's been a month since we are doing so bad… I just-"

Jordan cuts her off. "That's not true, what about the great weekend that we spent together?"

Hanna "It wasn't a great weekend, Jordan. We need to stop lying to ourselves"

Jordan "It was for me… I thought it was the same way for you"

Hanna remains silent again.

Jordan "You know I would do anything for you, Han… just tell me what you want"

Hanna "Stop planning the wedding"

Jordan "Okay. I will"

There's another silence and once again, Jordan is the one who breaks it.

Jordan "Please, don't make any decision yet, we deserve more than ending like this… Can you come to Boston so we can talk properly? Would you do that for me? Just give me that last chance… do it for what we were… for the relationship that we had… that we still have" he corrects himself. "It is worthy to fight for… it's been a beautiful year together, don't let this last time ruin it"

Several memories invade Hanna's mind. Jordan is right, despite everything that it's been going on lately, and despite all those things that never worked for them but she didn't see till now, (or didn't allow herself to see till now), they did have great times. Memories from the day they met for the first time prevail, the horrible day when Chocolate went missing, but also the day Jordan stuck around and helped her out. He was there for her.

Hanna "Fine. I'll go to Boston" she finally agrees, although she is still very sure about her decision, and she knows that nothing that he could say or do could change her mind.

Jordan "Can you do something else for me?"

Hanna "What?"

Jordan "Put your ring back on, please… don't take it off just yet, it means a lot to me…"

Hanna can hear his cracking voice through the line and it breaks her heart, because she still cares about him.

Hanna "Okay, I will"

Jordan "Thank you… Can we talk a little longer? I miss you… we don't have to keep talking about us… just tell me something about your day, anything… or tell me something about Chocolate… what did you do today?"

Hanna smiles slightly. "We went for a walk at noon… it was way too hot outside, and then there was this guy washing his car and Chocolate went straight to him, well, to his hose… poor guy, he looked frightened at seeing Chocolate, but then he realized that he was friendly and that he was only thirsty and he let Chocolate have some water. I got so embarrassed, but the guy was really kind to us"

/

Next day.

Afternoon.

Caleb has been all day long expecting news from Hanna. Since she left his place the night before, he couldn't stop thinking what could happen between them now that she will be free for him. It makes him happy the fact that he will be able to tell the guys that Hanna is his girl, and not someone else. He is very excited, but also has some doubts and fears. He has been wondering if he should prepare something for her, like a romantic date, a dinner, a going-out, anything, but then he discarded those ideas, thinking that she maybe won't be in the mood for that after breaking up with Jordan, and that maybe he should give her some space. He only wants to make things the best way possible.

Now he is standing at the front door of her house. He received a call from her a while ago. She asked him to meet up and there he is, waiting for her to answer the door.

Hanna "Hey" she smiles at him. "Come on in…"

Caleb steps into the house and Chocolate welcomes him as always, very excitedly. "Hey, Chocolate! How are you doing buddy?" he greets him back while trying to stroke his head but it's not easy since the dog doesn't stop jumping around him.

Hanna "Seems like he missed you yesterday"

Caleb chuckles. "He would still greet me this way even if I only left for ten minutes"

Hanna chuckles too. "That's true"

Seeing that she is in a good mood, Caleb approaches her.

Caleb "So?" he asks her with a smile on his face and takes her hands in his.

Hanna "I couldn't do it" she says softly and looks down.

Caleb "You didn't talk to him?" he lets go of her hands.

Hanna "Yes, I did. Of course I did… Can we talk?"

Caleb nods, so Hanna turns around and heads to the living room. He follows her there.

Hanna "I told him that I wanted to split up, but he asked me for a chance to get together and talk things out before making any decision, and I said yes" she explains as they sit down on the couch.

Caleb "You changed your mind?"

Hanna "No" she says very convincing and reaches out to take his hand. "It's you the one with whom I want to be… you know I won't change my mind about it" she gives him a warm smile. "I just think that my relationship with him deserves to end well and getting together with him is the least I can do, we already talked about this, Caleb"

Caleb looks down at their joined hands and that's when he sees her engagement ring back on her finger.

Caleb "You put your ring back on?"

Hanna "Yeah, but it doesn't mean anything to me… Jordan asked me to do so. I told him that I had taken it off and he seemed so hurt… it won't make any difference that I wear it a little longer… they are just a couple of days, only one night, I'm meeting up with him in Boston tomorrow and then I'll get back here on Saturday for Toby's birthday"

Caleb doesn't say a word, but his expression turns very serious.

Hanna "Say something, please"

Caleb "I've nothing to say" he stands up from the couch. "I'm going home" he says while leaving the living room and heads back toward the front door.

Hanna "Wait… are you angry?" she asks while going after him. "I thought that you were waiting for me"

Caleb sighs. "I just can't do this anymore, Hanna" he says and looks at her, feeling overwhelmed.

Hanna "I don't get you, Caleb. Just the other night you told me that you were willing to wait for me. You also told me that you knew pretty well what you were getting into, that you knew that this was such a complicated situation, and that you would take the risk… and now you are just walking away from me only because I'm breaking up with Jordan tomorrow instead of last night?"

Caleb "I know everything that I said and I meant it. But this is different, Hanna. Don't you see? I'm not made of stone. Today I woke up ready to either start to have with you the relationship that we want or have to give you some space in case that you were still sad about the break-up. I was even ready to have you treating me bad again, but it never crossed my mind that you would tell me that you hadn't left him yet… much less I was ready to see you wearing that ring again after you took it off in front of me last night. You change your mind every minute. But I am not mad at you, I'm just annoyed with this whole situation. I can't take this anymore. Maybe you are not ready to let him go yet. You are even going to spend two days with him, do you know how does it make me feel? How bad this all makes me feel? I never asked you for anything, I never meddled in your relationship, but this just too much for me now. Just let me know when you are free" he is about to open the door but Hanna takes his arm to stop him.

Hanna "I won't go to Boston if you don't want me to go"

Caleb "This is not about what I want, you should have said no yourself… It should have come out from you the moment he-" he stops talking all of a sudden, makes a pause and then goes on. "You know what? I am the problem here… I have no right to ask you anything. I just… well, it doesn't matter. I'm an idiot" he finally opens the door and goes outside.

Hanna "Wait, don't leave, let's talk about this. Just tell me-"

Caleb cuts her off. "I just need some space right now" he says and starts to walk away.

Hanna "Can I call you later then?"

Caleb "Yeah" he only says without turning to her. He gets in his car and leaves.

* * *

Hi everyone :) Thanks for the previous' chapter reviews, I'm glad you liked it. About this one, I know you might not like the ending, but it needed to happen, Caleb had to explode at some point and Hanna needs to realize that she has to preserve their relationship a bit more although it is just beginning. Anyway, thanks for reading! Till next time!


	18. Chapter 18

Saturday. Toby's birthday.

Hanna parks her car at Spencer's lake house. "We are here, baby" she tells Chocolate who is asleep on the back seat as she takes her purse and Toby's present from the passenger seat.

She gets out of the car and goes open the rear door for the dog before taking her suitcase from the trunk.

Hanna "Over here, Chocolate" she tells him while walking toward the house.

She is feeling really anxious and the only reason for her anxiousness is Caleb. She hasn't seen him since he walked away from her two days ago. When she called him on the phone later that day, he was on his way to Allentown. Learning about it, worried her at first, but he assured her that she had nothing to worry about, that he only needed some time to himself, and that they would see each other again at Toby's birthday. And there she is, about to see him again. She only hopes that things between them aren't awkward.

Hanna "Hey, everyone!" she greets her friends after letting herself in and they all greet her back.

Everyone is already there. Aria, Ezra, Alison and Emily have arrived in the morning, ready to spend the beautiful summer day at the lake. Caleb, who came straight from Allentown, has gotten there just in time for lunch. They are still sitting at the table, since they had lunch in the house because it was too hot outside. Everyone greets Chocolate as well, but he rushes toward Caleb immediately.

Toby "You brought a large suitcase?" he asks amused.

Aria laughs. "You know that we are staying only one night, right?" she adds and everyone laughs.

Hanna rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I know. Is someone going to help me take this upstairs or you will just stay there and make fun of me?"

Caleb "Here" he says and stands up from his chair, still smiling amused, and goes take her suitcase.

Hanna smiles at him.

Toby "Aren't you going to wish me a happy birthday?" he tells Hanna.

Hanna "Oh, sorry, baby!" she grins and goes hug him. "Happy birthday!... this is for you" she gives him the present.

Toby "Thank you" he smiles.

Caleb "Where should I put this?" he asks from the stairs.

Hanna "Oh, mm… I am still sharing room with Ali, right?" she asks to Spencer and then looks at Alison.

Alison "Yeah" she only says, a bit awkwardly.

Hanna "Okay" she gives her a smile.

She was hoping that Alison and Emily would sort things out by now so she could sleep in the same room as Caleb and maybe have some time to talk to him, but it seems like they didn't.

Hanna follows Caleb upstairs and then to the room that she's sharing with her friend.

Hanna "Thank you" she tells him after he places her suitcase next to the bed.

Caleb "You are welcome" he smiles at her and he is about to leave the room but Hanna stops him.

Hanna "Wait" she takes his arm and he turns back around to look at her. "Are we okay?" she takes the opportunity to talk to him, since she's not sure if they will be able to have some time alone again.

Caleb "Yeah, of course we are"

Hanna "I didn't go to Boston"

Caleb "It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything"

Hanna "Yes, I have to… I want to. Can we talk?" she approaches him and wraps her arms around his neck.

Caleb "Look, Han… we are fine, okay? I don't want to talk. But everything is okay between us, don't worry" he places his hands on her waist but doesn't pull her closer or anything, there's still a distance between their bodies.

Hanna "You said the same the other day and then you just left"

Caleb "I didn't go to Allentown because of you. I needed to go get back some of my things that I had left there and I just took the opportunity to think about all this. That's all. I just need some time right now, some space" he takes his hands off of her waist and then he uses them to unwrap Hanna's arms from his neck.

Hanna "Let's talk, I have many things to tell you" she tries to hug him, but Caleb places his palms on her shoulders and stops her gently.

Caleb "Hey, we don't need to talk. We are okay"

Hanna "We obviously aren't okay, you don't even let me approach you… I missed you"

Caleb gives in now and he pulls her into a hug himself. "I missed you too, Han"

Hanna "Let me talk to you, then" she says while hugging him back.

Caleb remains in the embrace for a few seconds more and then pulls away. "I need some space right now" he says again. "I need to take a distance… we will talk when you are free... I think we should put our thing in pause until you are ready to let Jordan go" he walks toward the door.

Hanna "Stop saying that! You know that I am ready, I have been trying to break up with him for a week, and I would have already done it if it hadn't been-"

Caleb cuts her off again. "Hey, it's okay, I'm not telling you what to do, I won't ask you anything. This whole thing is overwhelming me, that's why I need to stay away, that's all. I don't want you to tell me when you will talk to him, when you are planning to meet up, just let me know when it's done and we will talk then. I'm sorry, I thought I could handle this better, but I can't"

Hanna "Okay, but listen to me… just give me a minute to-" she stops speaking because Caleb's already gone.

/

Hanna gets out of the house after changing her clothes, wearing only her bathing suit and sunglasses. She walks toward the lake where all her friends already are. Ezra, Emily, Toby and Chocolate are already in the water, Caleb is standing at the shore, and Alison, Spencer and Aria are lying on their blankets, sunbathing. She approaches the girls, extends her blanket as well and lies down, without saying a word. She is still feeling frustrated after her unfinished conversation with Caleb.

Spencer "You should put some sunscreen on, Han"

Hanna "Didn't bring any"

Spencer "Here" she says and hands Hanna her sunscreen.

Hanna "Thanks, mom" she grabs it but places it next to her on the blanket instead of using it.

Spencer rolls her eyes. "Come on, Han… you don't want to get sunburned, it will hurt"

Hanna "Fine" she sits up on her blanket and takes the sunscreen. Then she starts to apply some of it on her legs.

Alison "Did you lose your engagement ring again, Han?" she asks, noticing that she is not wearing it.

Hanna "No" she only says.

Alison "You took it off?" she asks with a smile.

Hanna "Why are you smiling? I just took it off precisely not to lose it" she lies. She took it off two days ago, for Caleb.

Aria "Why are you so grumpy all of a sudden?" she asks Hanna.

Hanna "I am not grumpy"

"Yes, you are" Spencer and Alison say at the same time.

Hanna "Okay, maybe I am a little in a bad mood. I'm sorry"

Aria "What's going on, Han?"

Hanna "Nothing, I'm okay" she forces a smile. She doesn't want to ruin her weekend with her friends. "Can you give me a hand, Spence?" she asks while turning around, asking her to put some cream on her back.

Spencer "Sure" she says and takes the sunscreen.

Hanna "So… how did it go your birthday surprise for Toby last night?" she smiles amused.

Spencer laughs. "I'm just going to say that he started his birthday the best way possible" she answers while applying some sun cream on Hanna's back.

The girls laugh.

Spencer "And he will end it the same way" she adds and makes the girls laugh again.

Aria "Just keep in mind that we will be in the same house… keep it quiet" she jokes, still laughing.

Hanna "Seems like your hormones are playing in Toby's favor"

Spencer laughs. "Yeah, we are having amazing sex"

Aria "Hey! Ezra and I too and I am not pregnant"

Alison "I envy you, guys" she sighs. "For me, it's been a week without even a kiss"

Hanna "Yeah, me too… it's been months since last time I had a good night of sex"

The girls turn their gazes toward her.

Alison "Months?"

Hanna "I mean weeks" she tries to correct what she just said and looks away.

But Alison won't miss the chance to mess with Jordan. She can't stand the guy.

Alison "If I were you, I would think it through before marrying Jordan… I mean, a life of bad sex? Ugh… anyway, he looked like he wasn't good in bed"

Hanna looks at her. "I didn't say that. And for comments like those is why you are losing Emily, by the way" she fires back.

Alison looks down. The expression on her face changes and she seems really affected by what Hanna just said.

Alison "I know… I can't help it… it's like they just come out of my mouth before I can even process them. I'm sorry, Han" she apologizes.

Hanna "It's okay"

Alison "I really want to work things out… I miss her like hell" she says while looking toward the lake in front of them, fixing her eyes on Emily.

Aria "Why don't you go with her right now?"

Alison "I don't want to make her uncomfortable. She's still mad at me"

Aria "Just go there with the guys for a while, stick around. You won't get anything by staying away from her"

Hanna "Yeah, spend some time with her now that you two are here… and try not to make mean comments"

Alison smiles. "Yeah, you are right. I'm going there" she stands up and walks toward the shore.

Shortly after, Ezra approaches them and convinces Aria to go into the lake with him, so she joins the guys too.

Spencer "Don't you want to take a swim as well?" she asks Hanna.

Hanna "No, I'm fine here… I want to tan a little. But you go if you want"

Spencer "Well, I won't get in the water… I gotta keep this little one warm" she says and caresses her still flat tummy. "But I think I'll go to the shore at least"

Hanna "Okay"

Spencer stands up. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Hanna "Yeah, I'm sure" she smiles at Spencer and she walks away.

Hanna closes her eyes and enjoys the warmth of the sun hitting her skin while relaxing.

Caleb "Are you getting in the water?" he asks to Spencer. He is still standing there at the shore, his feet in the water.

Spencer "No… I'll just stay here" she smiles at him. "You should go ask Hanna, though" she adds as Caleb starts to walk further into the lake.

Caleb stops his walk and turns around. He sees Hanna lying on her blanket. He doubts for a moment, but then he decides to go with her.

Caleb "Yeah, I will" he tells Spencer and starts to walk toward Hanna.

As he gets closer, he gets a better view of her. He can't help checking her out, she looks breath-taking in that black bikini of hers. But as soon as he gets to her, he fixes his eyes only on her face.

Caleb "Hey" he stands in front of her.

Hanna "I'm trying to get a tan here and you are stealing my sun" she says cuttingly.

Caleb doesn't say anything and lies down on Spencer's blanket next to her.

Hanna "What are you doing?"

Caleb "I'm getting a tan too… shouldn't you take your sunglasses off? You don't want to get a mark…"

Hanna knows that he is right but she won't take her glasses off because there's no way that she's conceding that to him. "I'm fine" she just says.

Caleb chuckles. He reaches out and takes her sunglasses off himself.

Hanna looks at him. "I'm doing my best not to treat you bad again, but you are really pushing me right now, you know?"

Caleb smiles amused. "Sorry, it wasn't my intention to piss you off"

Hanna "Why don't you just go there with the guys? Go swim or something"

Caleb "Because I want to stay here with you"

Hanna "I don't get you, Caleb… you just asked me for space and here you are"

Caleb "Oh, come on… It's not like I'll push you away or something, we are all here to spend the weekend together and I told you that everything is okay between us"

Hanna doesn't answer. She looks back to the sky and closes her eyes to continue sunbathing. Caleb turns to lie on his side and stares at her for minutes. He takes a while to observe her face, which is perfect to him and then he runs his eyes over her body, her skin is shinny under the sun light because of the sunscreen. He wishes that he could freeze the time and everything around them and have her all for himself for a while at least. He takes his eyes back to her face and he is still staring at her when Hanna opens her eyes and turns her face to him, so their looks meet.

Caleb "Wanna go for a swim with me now?"

Hanna only smiles slightly. She misses him and her need to be around him is stronger than the annoyance that she feels because he refuses to listen to what she has to tell him.

Caleb sits up on the blanket and looks toward the lake, where the guys are. "Seems like Chocolate is having a blast over there"

Hanna takes a look as well and sees Chocolate going get a stick that Toby just threw for him. He is swimming happily after it.

Hanna "Okay, let's go" she sits up too.

Caleb stands up and offers his hand to her. Hanna takes his hand and he helps her up, but they release their hands as soon as Hanna is on her feet.

/

The rest of the afternoon goes well, everyone has fun at the lake and enjoys the sunny day. Chocolate is probably the one who enjoys the most since he loves the water and being the center of attention. And Hanna and Caleb get along just as well as always, and given that they are with the guys the whole time, Hanna doesn't try to talk to him again.

Evening.

Hanna gets downstairs after taking a shower. She goes straight to the kitchen where Aria and Ezra are making dinner.

Hanna "Do you guys need some help?"

Aria "No, it's fine, we've got this" she smiles at her.

Ezra "Well, I could use some beer…"

Hanna chuckles. "Okay" she approaches the fridge and gets Ezra a beer can.

Ezra "Thanks"

Hanna "No problem… well, just let me know if you need a hand" she says and leaves the kitchen to go to the living room.

She finds Spencer, Toby, Caleb and Chocolate there.

Hanna "Where are Em and Ali?" she asks while sitting down on a chair.

Spencer "They are gone for a walk" she says smiling.

Hanna "Oh, that's good" she grins and then turns her gaze to Toby and Caleb who seem to be checking over a fishing rod. "Are you going fishing?" she asks them.

Toby "No, Caleb got me this as a birthday present" he tells Hanna and then looks at Caleb. "Really, man, you didn't have to buy me this. It must be really expensive, this is the latest model, this is a state-of-the-art"

Caleb smiles. "Hey, it's the least I could do, you have helped me a lot since I moved here… besides, it's just a rod"

Toby "It's not just a rod, this is great" he says fascinated while examining the reel.

Chocolate stands up and walks toward the back door. He scratches the door, asking to go outside.

Hanna is about to stand up, but Caleb beats her to it.

Caleb "I'll go" he tells her and walks to the door.

Hanna "Okay, just make sure he doesn't get in the water again"

Caleb nods and they go outside.

About five minutes pass and Caleb is still outside with Chocolate. Hanna knows that it would be a perfect opportunity to go talk to him and make him listen to what she has to say. But she also needs an excuse to go outside without being too obvious, since her friends already suspect that there's something going on between Caleb and her. She spots her purse on the coffee table and something pops up in her mind. She grabs it and takes a cigarette, that's the best way to get outside, she's making Spencer kick her out herself.

Hanna is about to light up her cigarette when Spencer, just as Hanna thought, gives her an odd look.

Spencer "You are not planning to smoke in here, are you?"

Hanna does her best and fakes surprise.

Spencer "I'm pregnant, remember?"

Hanna "Oh, right. Sorry!"

Spencer "It's fine. Just go outside"

Once she is outside, she takes a look around and spots Caleb standing aside, his hands in his pockets as he watches Chocolate who is sniffing the ground a little further from him.

Hanna "Hey" she says while walking toward him and Caleb turns around.

Caleb smiles at her, but then he sees the cigarette in her hand. "Are you serious?"

Hanna chuckles and crushes the cigarette in her fist, destroying it. "No, this was just an excuse to come here with you" she throws it away and gets closer to him. "Are you going to listen to me now?"

Caleb sighs. "Look Han, I'm sorry. I thought that I could handle this better, that I could bear anything as long as you were with me, but I can't. I don't want to talk because we won't get anywhere right now"

Hanna "Okay, let's not talk then" she wraps her arms around his neck and lays her lips on his right away, starting to kiss his mouth.

Caleb "Han, please" he says against her lips and places his hands on her hips with the intention of pushing her away, but he just can't, so he only closes his eyes.

Hanna "No" she says and keeps kissing him, although he doesn't kiss her back.

She takes one of her hands to his face and cups his cheek, still moving her mouth on his, and she tries to deepen the kiss but she fails because Caleb doesn't collaborate.

Hanna "Come on, kiss me back" she says still against his mouth, but Caleb turns his face to the side this time, moving his mouth away from hers.

Caleb "I can't do this, Hanna. This is getting out of my hands. My feelings for you are getting the best of me" he pulls away from her embrace. "What happened the other day at your place… I had no right to ask you anything… it's just that… fuck, I feel you so mine already that I can't bear thinking of you being with him again, not even for a minute. That's why I want to stay away for now. I can't meddle in your business, I can't tell you what to do, I can't tell you how to break up with your boyfriend, or when. You should have gone to Boston if you wanted to. I need to step aside… I've never been in such a situation. It freaks me out how much it affects me anything you do. I no longer have control of my emotions. You have no idea how much it hurt seeing that ring back on your finger the other day"

Hanna shows him her hand. "I'm not wearing it anymore… I took it off the other day after you left. If you only listened to me-"

Caleb cuts her off. "Still, I shouldn't even have thrown it in your face because I have no right. He is still your fiancée after all… and I am no one… I'm just the guy with whom you are hooking up"

Hanna "Would you just stop and listen to me once and for all? I have some things to tell you, and they have pretty much to do with everything that you just said"

Caleb "Okay, fine" he gives in since he knows that Hanna won't give up and even if he walked away from her now, she would find a way to get alone with him again.

Hanna "First of all, you are not just the guy with whom I am hooking up… you are my BAE" she says and grins.

Caleb can't help laughing. "I'm your what?" he asks amused. Hanna's words have just changed his mood drastically and they have also blown away the seriousness of the talk.

Hanna "My BAE, as cheesy, stupid and teenaged as it sounds…" she chuckles. "I was thinking about that the other day… I have been thinking a lot these last two days after you left... and that popped up in my mind"

Caleb "And how's that?" he asks intrigued about how she came to that idea.

Hanna "Well, I was trying to find out what place you were occupying in mi life… I mean, this has been so weird from the beginning… we started fighting, we barely put up with one another at first, then we started hanging out, spending more and more time together, to the point where I spent most of my days with you… I can't tell the exact moment I started feeling things for you, and then we just started to have this thing between us, which I don't even know how to call it… Anyway, back to my point, you are my BAE, or at least, that's what I want you to be for me… I want you to be my 'before anyone else', that's the place that I want you to occupy in my life. But I haven't been doing it right, I neglected you. I didn't put you first… I guess that it is not possible to do everything right… I mean, I can't end things with Jordan the best way possible and protect the beginning of our relationship at the same time. I said that I didn't want to mix things up, but it's all already mixed up, and it's been like that even since before we first kissed. I have only hurt you while trying not to hurt Jordan, I made mistakes, I made decisions that were unfair to you, and I don't want to do it anymore. From now on, you are first. So yes, you have the right to ask me things because I give you that right. And I also want you to tell me when something hurts or bothers you. It doesn't matter what we are right now, I don't care about titles, only our feelings count… and that suitcase that I brought today wasn't just to spend one night here… I was planning to go to DC straight from here, if you were okay with that, of course. I'm done with all this and I just want to go there and give Jordan that ring back once and for all" she wraps her arms around Caleb's neck again. "But I will only do that if you are okay with it, if it doesn't hurt you. Otherwise, I'll just talk to him on the phone again and mail him the ring"

Hanna stares at him for a moment and then she leans forward and starts to kiss him on the mouth again, but Caleb is still doubtful. He only places his palms on her lower back.

Hanna "Come on, babe…" she says between kissing him. "Kiss me already"

Caleb's resistance eases off and he wraps his arms around her, pulling her closer to him and he finally kisses her back, but only for a few seconds, because he has things to tell her as well, so he pulls away from her lips and looks at her, still in the embrace.

Caleb "I won't tell you what to do. I don't wanna be that guy… I think you should go to Washington if that's what you need… but since you are giving me the chance to ask you things, I would really appreciate if you don't kiss him again… like a good-bye kiss or shit like that that people do when they break up… Just the thought of it makes me sick…"

Hanna smiles. "No kisses, I promise. It wasn't in my plans anyway. Don't worry, we will talk about it before I leave, okay? We will talk this through"

Caleb nods.

Hanna "I'm really sorry about the other day, I was so thoughtless" she runs a hand through his hair, caressing him.

Caleb "It's okay" he gives her a smile. "So… I'm your BAE?" he asks amused, teasing her a little.

Hanna rolls her eyes. "You really know how to use my own words against me"

Caleb laughs. "I'm just kidding… besides, I liked it. I guess you mean the same to me" he says and he kisses her lips himself this time, starting a very romantic kiss.

* * *

Hey! I'm sorry for taking so long to update this time! Especially when the previous chapter didn't end too well. I loved your reviews about the chapter by the way, haha. Some of you got a little scared about how the story would go on, but I guess you have nothing to worry about after reading this chapter. Hanna made up her mind, and she even begged Caleb for a kiss!

Well, let me know what you think about this one :) Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

Toby's birthday. Night.

A little party starts after dinner and the birthday cake. Although they are few people, the guys are having a great time. They are having drinks while listening to very loud music. Hanna and Emily are even dancing a little, drinks in hands. Alison and Aria are sitting on the couch, next to Ezra, who is preparing their drinks, and Toby is sitting on a chair, Spencer on his lap.

Hanna spots Caleb's eyes on her and gives him a brief smile before taking another sip of her drink. She knows he is checking her out. He is sitting on a chair, a bit away from her.

Hanna approaches him after a while. "May I?" she asks while gesturing toward his lap with her gaze.

Caleb nods with a tender smile on his face and Hanna sits down on his lap. As always, Caleb wraps an arm around her and Hanna rests one arm on his shoulders. They can allow themselves to do that kind of things in front of everyone, they have been all over each other almost since they met and it is not weird for the guys to see them that close.

Hanna "What were you looking at?" she whispers to him playfully, smiling amused.

Caleb only smiles back and presses a very brief kiss on her cheek.

Hanna turns to the coffee table in front of them and refills her glass with some champagne.

Emily turns a bit down the music volume, just enough so that everyone can talk and listen to each other, and goes sit on the armrest of the chair where Hanna and Caleb are sitting.

Hanna "More champagne, Em?"

Emily answers with a smile and Hanna refills her glass too.

Aria "Let's play some drinking game guys, like we did when we were still in high school"

Emily "Like what? Never have I ever? Truth or dare? We played those so many times, we already know everything about us…"

Alison "Yeah, and it's not like we have too many options to dare someone, I mean, we are all couples and best friends… quite boring"

Aria "Well, since we know each other that well, we can play 'Most likely'" she suggests now.

Ezra "And what the hell is that? I feel old when we do this kind of things"

Aria laughs and takes his hand. "Someone asks a 'most likely' question, like, 'Who is most likely to be poor?' Then, everyone points at a person who they think are most likely to do so, and the person who has the maximum number of fingers pointed at them, drinks as many sips"

Spencer "Sounds fun, I can't drink, but I'm playing too" she says and pours herself a glass of orange juice.

Aria "Okay, you go first, Spence"

Spencer "Mm… Most likely to become a father before marriage?" she says amused.

Obviously, everyone points at Toby, and Spencer laughs.

Toby "Thanks, babe" he tells her and drinks almost all the liquid in his glass. Then, he asks. "Most likely to develop a million-dollar app?"

Everyone points their fingers at Caleb this time and he drinks.

Emily is the next one in the circle. "Who is most likely to have the most children?"

This time, half of them point at Spencer and the other half point at Hanna, so it's a tie.

Emily "You drink Han, Spencer is only having juice" she smiles at her and Hanna drinks before making her question.

Hanna "Okay… Most likely to catch feelings after a one-night stand?" she asks, in order to return Emily the favor, and it works because being one of the most sensitive people in the group, most fingers point at her. "You go now" she looks down at Caleb.

Caleb "Most likely to eat a tub of ice-cream alone?" he asks while staring at Hanna.

Spencer laughs. "No doubts in that one" she says amused as everyone, including her, points at Hanna.

Hanna "Hey!" she laughs and drinks.

Alison "Most likely to do something stupid within next 24 hours?"

Once again, the guys agree on Hanna and she has to drink.

Hanna rolls her eyes and drinks what's left in her glass.

Aria "Most likely to cry over a movie?"

Although the pointing fingers split between Aria and Emily, Emily gets one more than her and drinks.

Ezra "Most likely to contract an STD?"

Everyone doubts for a moment but then they all point at Caleb, except for Hanna.

Toby laughs. "Sorry, man, we had to choose and we don't even know your girl after all"

Caleb "Yeah, well, I can assure you that she's not the kind of girl that goes around spreading an STD. Not at all" he takes his glass and drinks.

Alison "You have to drink too, Han, for not pointing at anyone"

Hanna chuckles. "What rule is that?" she says but shrugs and drinks anyway.

The round goes on and after a few questions, it's Caleb's turn again.

Caleb "Most likely to get a job in fashion?" he shoots straight to Hanna and after getting all her friends' fingers pointing toward her, she drinks.

Hanna "Are you trying to get me drunk or something?" she whispers to Caleb.

Caleb only gives her a smile and tightens his grip around her waist.

Hanna "Well, I was feeling like doing some things with you later… but anyway, it will be a pity if I get wasted and just go to sleep" she shrugs and finishes drinking what is left of champagne in her glass.

Caleb "And what kind of things would they be?" he asks playfully.

Hanna "Just things" she only says and points at Emily although she didn't even hear what the question was but the guys are pointing at her, and Caleb does the same.

Caleb "I'm getting bored of this game…" he tells the group.

Ezra "Yeah, me too… this is stupid, I just want to drink my beer if you don't mind"

Toby "Me three"

Hanna smiles amused at Caleb. "You changed your mind about getting me drunk?" she whispers to him.

Caleb "Let's get out of here, babe" he whispers back.

Hanna "Not now… We can't"

Caleb "Well, you could go for another bottle of champagne…" he says and gestures toward the empty bottle on the coffee table in front of them. "Come on… just a kiss"

Hanna looks at the bottle, then at her empty glass and smiles. "I'll go for more champagne, does anyone want something else?" she says while standing up from Caleb's lap.

Alison "Yeah, bring some ice to prepare some mojitos"

Hanna "Okay"

Hanna goes to the kitchen and only waits for a couple of minutes before Caleb shows up in there as well. She smiles at him and he smiles back as he approaches her. She's standing at the kitchen counter and Caleb wraps his arm around her waist as soon as he reaches her and holds her against the kitchen countertop.

Hanna "What was your excuse?" she asks amused while wrapping her arms around his neck.

Caleb shrugs. "Nothing… I just came"

He leans forward and starts to kiss her passionately, Hanna responds right away, kissing him back the same way, so it's a deep kiss from the beginning. Caleb keeps an arm wrapped around her and takes the other hand to her nape, holding some strands of her hair as he keeps kissing her mouth intensely. Some minutes later, he is still focused on the champagne flavored kiss when Hanna places her hands on his face and pushes him back gently.

Hanna "We should go back, baby"

Caleb pecks her lips once more and then pulls a little back to look at her. "Can't we just say that Chocolate needs to go outside or something and disappear?"

Hanna chuckles. "He's sleeping like a baby on the carpet, no one will believe that… just give them some time and they will end up making out or even going upstairs and that's when we'll sneak away" she presses another sweet kiss on his lips. "Let's go back… grab some ice, I'll take the champagne"

Caleb nods and releases her from his embrace.

/

Hanna was right, because around two hours later, Aria and Ezra have gone upstairs, both of them completely wasted, and Spencer and Toby are making out as if there wasn't anyone else in the room. Only Alison and Emily are left.

Alison "Well… I'll just go to sleep. Night" she says and heads to the stairs.

Hanna was hopping that maybe Alison would manage to sort things out with Emily by now, but it seems like she didn't since Emily remains in her seat instead of joining her.

Hanna "Wanna go take some fresh air?" she asks both Caleb and Emily.

Emily "Yeah, let's go"

The trio walks toward the door and Chocolate finally gets up from the carpet where he has been sleeping for the last hours when he sees that both Hanna and Caleb are going outside, maybe thinking that they are leaving and not wanting to be left behind.

Hanna smiles at him while holding the door open for him to go outside as well.

Once they are out, Chocolate starts to walk, going a little away from them, so Caleb goes after him, leaving Hanna and Emily behind.

Hanna sits down on a large rock and Emily goes sit next to her.

Hanna "So, how are you and Ali doing?"

Emily "We are much better, we talked a lot today when we went for a walk… we will be fine, I just need some more time, but we will get through this" she gives Hanna a smile.

Hanna "I'm happy for you" she smiles back. "I don't like when you two fight, you both are my friends, and it's like I want you to sort things out but I don't want to meddle in your things either"

Emily "Yeah, I know it's not easy, but you did it very well the other day just staying with me. That's all I needed. Thank you"

Hanna smiles at her once more and then she looks around and fixes her eyes on Caleb who is still watching Chocolate.

They remain silent for a while. Hanna's eyes always on Caleb, so she doesn't notice that Emily stares at her as she does so.

Emily "I don't want to meddle in your business either but you and Caleb would be great together" she says after a while and stands up.

Hanna looks up at her and is about to say something, but Emily speaks again.

Emily "I'm going to bed" she gives Hanna an amused smile and goes back into the house.

Now that Emily is gone, Hanna stands up too and goes to Caleb. She approaches him and wraps her arms around him from behind his back.

Hanna "Hey" she says softly and presses a tender kiss on his neck.

Caleb grins and turns around. "Finally!" he says and wraps his arms around her, holding her against him.

They join their mouths in a kiss right away. It's a very hot open-mouthed kiss that makes their breaths heavy in only a couple of minutes.

Hanna "I wish we had a room only for us too" she says against his lips, never breaking the kiss.

Somehow, Caleb manages to smile although his bottom lip is trapped between Hanna's lips and when she opens her mouth again and lets go of it, he takes the chance to speak. "We will find a way, don't worry"

They keep kissing for a while but then Hanna pulls away from him abruptly.

Hanna "Chocolate!" she tells Caleb and looks around.

Caleb releases her and takes a look as well, searching for the dog.

Caleb "It's okay, Han… he must be here around" he tells her at seeing the worry in her face.

Hanna "Chocolate!" she calls for him.

Caleb "Hey, buddy!" he yells as well.

Hanna "Shit, I shouldn't have taken my eyes off him"

Caleb "There he is… chill" he wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her close to him as Chocolate walks toward them.

Hanna "Sorry, I go crazy when I lose sight of him"

Caleb "It's okay" he presses a kiss against her temple. "Let's take him back inside"

Hanna nods and they go back to the house, holding hands.

Hanna lets go of his hand and gets inside, Chocolate follows her and Caleb is the last one to go in. He closes the door and turns back to Hanna.

Hanna "Well, at least we have the couch all for us…" she says, seeing that Toby and Spencer are no longer there.

Caleb chuckles and takes her hand back in his. "I've got a better idea…" he leads her upstairs and then toward the door of the room that he is sharing with Emily.

Hanna "I hope you are not thinking of doing stuff in the bed right next to Emily's" she whispers to him, just joking, because of course she knows that it is not what he has in mind.

Caleb smiles amused. "I'll go get my car keys… just stay here with him" he turns his gaze toward Chocolate who is standing next to them. "We don't want him to wake Emily"

Hanna nods and Caleb goes into the bedroom, but only a few seconds later, he opens the door again.

Caleb "Emily is not here"

Chocolate takes the opportunity to get into the room.

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb "Unless she is hiding under the bed, yes, I'm pretty sure"

Hanna rolls her eyes but can't help smiling.

Caleb "You think she… umm… went with Alison?"

Hanna "She could be in the bathroom too… I'll go check"

Caleb nods and Hanna walks to the bathroom door. She is about to knock on the door but notices that it is slightly open, so she pushes it open and takes a look.

Hanna "She's not here either" she says while walking back to Caleb. And that's when she remembers the playful way Emily smiled at her while saying that she would go to bed. "She must be with Ali"

Caleb takes her hand and pulls her into the bedroom, then he closes the door.

Hanna chuckles. "He is unbelievable" she says while staring at Chocolate who has jumped on the bed that was supposed to be Emily's and now is sleeping peacefully.

Caleb shrugs. "It's not like we were planning to use that bed anyway" he wraps his arms around her waist, from behind her back, and starts to kiss her neck.

Hanna smiles widely and shuts her eyes. She allows herself to enjoy his kisses for a while, but then she remembers what her plan was in the first place and turns around to kiss his mouth.

Hanna "I'm taking care of you tonight" she says between kisses and starts to unbutton his shirt.

Caleb "Mmm… I like that" he says and sucks her bottom lip, going on with the kiss.

Once she is done unbuttoning his shirt, she takes it off and it falls on the floor. Then she takes her hands to his belt and breaks the kiss for a moment to look down as she undoes it. Caleb looks down as well and seeing her hands so close to his crotch only drives him crazy, his mind starts to anticipate what comes next.

Shortly after, Caleb is left only in boxers. They are still standing in the middle of the room, making out, when he takes the edge of Hanna's casual summer dress and pulls it over her head before throwing it to the end of the bed that is being occupied by Chocolate. Hanna takes the opportunity to take off her shoes as well and when she looks up, she finds Caleb biting his bottom lip while staring at her, well, her body.

Hanna smiles shyly and approaches him again. She presses her hands against his chest softly and he closes his eyes. His expression is calm, but his chest is moving up and down quicker than it was moments ago. She looks down to his torso, his flawless toned torso, and runs one of her hands down, caressing his skin on her way to the waistband of his boxers. She looks back up and reconnects their lips in another passionate kiss as she lowers her hand, keeping it on top of his boxers and slowly reaches the budge in the fabric and starts to massage him gently, getting a gasp from him against her mouth right away. She can feel that he has already grown hard and she can also hear that his breathing has changed.

Caleb pulls away from the kiss. "Let's get in the bed" he says and his voice sounds raspy.

Hanna smiles at him. "Not just yet"

She places her hands on his hips now and takes a few steps back, leading him along with her and once she reaches the bed behind her, she sits down on its edge. He is standing in front of her. Before he can react, Hanna is already pulling his boxers down, so he only lets out a very deep breath and shuts his eyes, missing the enthusiastic expression on Hanna's face and the way she licks her lips once she uncovers him and gets to see what was under the fabric. He's perfect.

As much as she wants to take him into her mouth already, she decides to touch him a little longer instead of going straight to the point. Hanna opens her hand and cups her fingers around his length, and Caleb immediately opens his eyes again, not wanting to miss such a view. She starts moving her hand up and down, stroking him gently, and Caleb only stares at her, swapping his gaze between her face and what her hand is doing to him.

Hanna "Tell me how you like it, tell me what you want"

Caleb "You are doing it just perfect, babe"

So, after his words, Hanna keeps her movements slow and tight until she decides that it's time to give him more. Still moving her hand along him, she leans forward and after placing a soft kiss on the tip of his head, she finally gets him into her mouth.

Caleb "Fuck, Hanna" he moans and tilts his head back only for a moment, because he quickly forces himself to look back at her.

He takes his hands to her face and cups her cheeks, something that he didn't do before because he wasn't sure if Hanna would use her mouth on him as well or if she would only keep using her hands, and he didn't want her to think that he was encouraging her to do so. So now, keeping a steady eye contact, with his hands on her face, he only accompanies her moves, he doesn't pull her any closer to get any more deepness, because she's already doing it perfectly.

Caleb "So good, Han" he lets her know it.

His words encourage her to speed up a bit, but she still keeps it gentle, like she assumes he likes it. She has her free hand pressed against his hip. Caleb takes one of his hands off of her face, reaches down and takes that hand of hers, intertwining their fingers.

Caleb "Babe…" he says moments later, and runs his thumb along her jawline. "I'm close" he only adds, messy breathing, and attempts to push her back.

But Hanna is not planning to let go of him yet, so she shakes her head slightly, keeping him in her mouth and resumes her moves, her hand and her mouth in a perfect synch to push him to his edge. And when she moans with her lips around him, it sends an electricity shooting through his body that makes him start to fill her mouth in less than a second, which at the same time makes her moan once again.

Once he is done, Hanna releases him and stands up. She wraps her arms around him right away and holds him tight against her, his heart is still racing and he is still breathing fast. Caleb hugs her back and rest his head on her shoulder. Hanna smiles and scratches her fingertips on his back, stroking him gently as she gives him some time to catch his breath.

After recovering, feeling fully relaxed, Caleb pulls a little back from her and keeping one arm around her, he uses the other one to pull down the covers of the bed next to them and then he leads Hanna in the bed along with him. Already lying in bed, facing each other, they share a very tender, slow and full of feelings kiss.

Caleb "Are you letting me do the same for you this time?" he asks between kissing her, without opening his eyes or pulling away from her.

But Hanna doesn't answer to his question, she only keeps kissing him. So, after a while, Caleb pulls a little back and this time he looks at her.

Caleb "Is that a yes?"

Hanna opens her eyes as well but doesn't make eye contact. She shakes her head no while smiling slightly.

Hanna "Can't you just do the same as the other day?" she only looks at him after her question.

Caleb "Yeah, of course" he gives her a reassuring smile and goes back to kissing her mouth.

Caleb places a hand on Hanna's shoulder and attempts to make her lie on her back, but she pulls away from his mouth.

Hanna "Can we change sides? I can't do this with Chocolate right next to me"

Caleb chuckles and pulls Hanna onto him while lying on his back, then, turning around, he lies on his other side, and places her back on the mattress, at the other side.

Now, Hanna is lying on her back and Caleb is the barrier between her and the bed next to theirs. She places her hand on his nape and pulls him back to her mouth. After the tender kiss that they just shared, they go back to the passion that they had before in a very intense kiss.

Supporting his weight with one arm, Caleb places his other palm on one of her breasts and starts to massage it gently through the fabric of her bra. Although he would love to take it off and have her bare chest completely at his will, he decides to wait, he wants to save it for when he can finally make love to her.

After a while, he abandons her chest and runs his hand down, brushing his fingertips along her until he reaches her panties. This time he doesn't ask for her permission, this time he slides his hand underneath her panties and starts to touch her just like he did days before. Hanna gasps against his mouth at feeling his gentle touch, which feels even better than she remembered.

Caleb leaves her mouth to take his to the soft skin of her neck where he keeps kissing her. With her arms wrapped around him, Hanna opens her eyes and looks at the ceiling. Pictures of his naked body from moments ago, when he was standing before her, pop up in her mind and without realizing, her mind starts to daydream about him, about them getting even more intimate than they are actually doing at the moment. And by the time she becomes aware of the fact that the fantasy is overtaking her mind, it's too late. As perfect as Caleb's touch feels, she wants more, she wants him, fully him. After a while of trying to focus back on reality and enjoy his actual touch, Hanna finally gives up and lowers her hand. She grabs Caleb's wrist and pulls his hand up and out of her panties.

Caleb raises his head from her neck right away and looks at her, completely confused and clueless about what's going on, wondering if he maybe did something wrong, although he knows that he only did what she asked him for.

Hanna "Sorry… I… I can't come"

Caleb "Did I d-"

Hanna cuts him off. "No. It's me, babe… don't worry. It happens sometimes, I just can't"

She is about to turn over to lie on her side but Caleb places his hand on her shoulder and stops her.

Caleb "There's no way I'm leaving you unfinished" he looks straight into her eyes. He really means it. "Tell me what you need… tell me what you want"

Hanna looks away and remains silent for a few seconds but then she looks back at him. "I want to make love"

Caleb smiles at her. "I want it too, babe… but you were right the other day. We deserve better than just doing it now, like this… with so many things going on in our minds… and in this little bed…"

Hanna looks away again, so Caleb places his hand on her face and makes her look back at him.

Caleb "Give me another chance… I just wanna make you come" he tells her, never breaking the eye contact, trying to turn her on again. "I want to make you feel as good as you just made me feel" he whispers into her ear and goes back to kissing her neck. "Will you let me?" he asks against her skin.

Hanna takes a deep breath. "I can't. I need more, I need you"

Caleb raises up from her neck and makes eye contact with her once more. "Yes, you can. Just focus on me, okay? Focus on this moment… I want you too, so bad, baby…" he pecks her lips. "But we will have our chance… and when we do, I'll make you come over and over again, I promise… I'll make love to you all night long" he talks to her that way in order to get her horny again and make her stay focused on him, and it works because Hanna's breathing gets heavy again and she stares into his eyes the whole time.

Hanna grabs his hand and she takes it back to the same place from where she took it off moments ago. Caleb gasps at that taking-control move of hers and at feeling the softness and warmness of her most sensitive part again. He is about to start to stroke her again when Hanna speaks.

Hanna "You don't need another chance, by the way. I do, it was me, I ruined it, not you. I got distracted myself"

Caleb "Distracted about what?" he asks with a slight frown on his face, which she finds extremely cute.

Hanna smiles at him. "I was thinking about you, silly… about how much I want you"

Caleb smiles back. "I'll make you come so bad" he tells her and right away, taking advantage of the fact that she is still as wet as before, and in a complete change of strategy, he slides two fingers into her, catching her by surprise and getting a loud moan from her.

/

Hanna is enjoying the peaceful moment after her orgasm. She is being held by Caleb's arms. Her cheek pressed against his chest, since she is lying on him. His legs are slightly open so Hanna's legs are extended on the mattress between them. The little bed turned out perfect for cuddling together after all.

After a long while, Hanna suddenly gets off of him and gets up from the bed.

Caleb "Where are you going?"

Hanna gives him a smile. "I need to go use the bathroom and I just saw my suitcase down here" she says while dragging her suitcase out of under the bed. "Emily must have brought it here"

Caleb smiles. "Well, now we know for sure that we have the room all for us"

Hanna opens her suitcase and grabs clean underwear, then she picks Caleb's shirt up from the floor. "May I put it on?" she asks him.

Caleb "Please" he gives her another smile. "Can you pass me my boxers?"

Hanna picks up his underwear and throws it to him. After putting his shirt on, she leaves the room.

/

Hanna gets out of the bathroom at the same time as Emily comes out from the room that Hanna was supposed to share with Alison.

Emily looks at her and smirks. Amusement in her expression, and Hanna becomes aware of the fact that she is half naked in Caleb's shirt and that it is why Emily is looking at her that way.

Emily chuckles. "Don't worry, I won't ask any questions" she says while approaching her.

Hanna "You already knew, didn't you?"

Emily smiles amused again. "Let's just say that I went to the kitchen for some tequila and that I maybe saw something"

Hanna "Oh" she only says, recalling the rough kiss that she shared with Caleb in the kitchen earlier. "So that's why you changed rooms with me then"

Emily nods.

Hanna "Thank you"

Emily "It's okay, I know you only offered to share the room with Ali because we weren't doing well, even though you wanted to stay with Caleb. And now Ali and I are doing better, or at least not bad enough not to share a bed, so no problem"

Hanna smiles at her.

Emily "Well, can I use the bathroom now?"

Hanna "Yeah" she says and moves to the side, since she was still standing at the bathroom door, and starts to walk back toward her room. "Oh, one more thing... Can you… mm… not tell anyone about this? This is kind of complicated, I haven't ended things with Jordan yet, and I think Caleb needs some time too, I need to-"

Emily cuts her off. "Hey! It's okay. Don't worry… remember when you found out about my feelings for Ali? You told me that I didn't have to pretend to be someone I wasn't, you told me that it didn't matter who I dated as long as they made me happy, you were there for me… well, the same goes to you, I don't care who you are with, or in which circumstances, as long as you are happy"

Hanna "Thanks, Em"

Emily "Well, I said I wouldn't ask any questions, but… was it good?"

Hanna looks at her confused.

Emily rolls her eyes. "You know what I am talking about" she tells her while gesturing toward Caleb's shirt with her look.

Hanna "Oh" she chuckles. "Well… we didn't go that far yet. But I'm just going to say that he has been more than good so far and that he is very well-equipped too"

Emily smiles while biting her bottom lip. "I didn't want to know that much, Han"

Hanna laughs while opening the door and gets back into her room.

Caleb "What's so funny?" he asks from the bed.

Hanna "Nothing, I was just talking with Em…" she closes the door and approaches the bed while yawning. "I'm so tired"

Caleb "Come here" he lifts the covers for her to get in the bed.

Hanna lies down next to him and rests her head back on his chest.

Caleb pulls the covers back up and then wraps his arm around her, holding her against his body. "Good night, baby" he presses a kiss on her head.

Hanna rests her palm on his chest too. "Night, babe"

She caresses his chest for a while as she tries to fall asleep, but then she speaks again when something comes up in her mind.

Hanna "Oh, I almost forgot! Next time you disappear for two days, you will get in a lot of trouble. This time I screwed up first, so you were more than justified, but don't you dare to do it again" she playfully warns him, but still means it.

Caleb chuckles. "I didn't disappear, you knew exactly where I was"

Hanna "Yeah, but you didn't tell me that you were leaving. You left just like that… don't do that again" this time, she says it softly and it sounds much more serious and honest, unlike before that she chose a funny way to say it.

Caleb "I won't" he wraps his free arm around her as well and presses her harder against him.

She makes him feel cared for, wanted and needed, things that he never felt before, and he loves it.

* * *

Well, that was another long chapter, and a spicy one! haha. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did while writing it! I like showing the confidence and the comfort that exists between them thanks to their friendship but at the same time the inevitable doubts and insecurities that come with getting more intimate.

Thanks for your kind reviews :) Till next time! xx


	20. Chapter 20

Morning after.

The unbearable heat of the summer morning wakes Hanna up. Still half asleep, she kicks the sheets down, uncovering her body, trying to find a way to cool off. That's when she starts to feel kisses on her cheek and then lower on her neck.

After all the tossing and turning of the night, she has ended up lying on her side and Caleb spooning her, since they are in a single bed and don't have much room.

Caleb "Morning" he says against her skin and tightens his grip around her waist, pulling her harder against him.

Hanna "Hey" she says smiling, her eyes still closed.

Then she feels as he releases her and gets up from the bed.

Hanna "Where are you going?" she looks at him now.

Caleb smiles at her. "I'm going for a pee" he tells her as he puts on a pair of shorts. "Be right back" he leaves the room.

Hanna "Hey, baby" she tells Chocolate who is still lying on the other single bed.

The dog only wags his tail at her, feeling too lazy to get up just yet.

Hanna chuckles. "You are still tired after yesterday's swimming?"

Caleb comes back a few minutes later. Hanna is still lying on the bed so he goes and lies down back next to her.

Hanna "Are the guys up already?" she asks while turning to face him.

Caleb "I heard Spencer's voice coming from downstairs, she was talking to someone. So I guess that at least two of them are up already"

Hanna nods. "Emily saw us last night" she says then.

Caleb's eyes open widely. "She walked in on us?" he asks, thinking that she maybe got in the room when they were doing stuff and he didn't even realize. It could be possible, she was supposed to sleep in that room after all.

Hanna smiles amused at his reaction. "Not here, she saw us in the kitchen, just kissing"

Caleb "Oh" he relaxes. "What did you tell her?"

Hanna "Nothing… It wasn't like I could deny it, so I just asked her not to tell anyone else"

Caleb only nods.

Hanna "We never talked about telling the guys about us or not… I wouldn't mind, I know they won't judge me for being with you when I still haven't ended things with Jordan. But I assumed you needed some more time"

Caleb "Why did you assume that?"

Hanna "Because you were the one who made up that you were seeing some girl"

Caleb "I didn't make that up, it's true"

Hanna "Well, you didn't tell them that it was me, it's the same"

Caleb "I didn't tell them that it was you because when I told Ezra and Toby that I was with someone, it was right after Camp Mona and you had asked me for some time. I wasn't going to just tell them about you"

Hanna "So you wouldn't mind if they learned about us?"

Caleb. "Well… it's not like I would mind, I mean… I want to tell them so we can be together without having to hide..."

Hanna "But…"

Caleb "But I think we should take a little longer before letting them know… this is already too much complicated to involve more people in. I would rather wait until you sort your things out before doing so… after what happened the other night at my house, you know, Jordan's presents, and then the day after at your place… I think we need more stability, more security before anything else"

Hanna "Okay" she only answers and looks down.

Caleb takes one hand to her chin and makes her look back at him. "I'm just looking after our relationship, babe"

Hanna "It's okay, I get you… I really screwed up the other day, so it makes sense that you need more security. I guess I need to show you that it's not just all words… I need to gain your trust"

Caleb "Han, I trust you. This is not about trust. It's just that… you are going to DC, and I don't even know how long and what's going to happen… the guys already want us to be together even though they don't know that there's already something going on between us, so that is not a pressure that we need to add on us right now"

Hanna "Wanna talk about me going to DC now?"

Caleb "What time are you leaving?"

Hanna "I don't want to take off too late, I only have to drive for two hours and half more or less, but still… so I guess I'll leave around 3"

Caleb "Okay, so we can talk about it later…" he says and leans forward. "I really want to kiss you right now"

Hanna smiles and her curled-up lips are crushed by Caleb's mouth as he starts a kiss.

/

A while later, Hanna goes downstairs with Chocolate. Caleb stays in the bedroom a little longer so they don't show up at the same time. She goes to the kitchen and finds Spencer and Aria there. Spencer is sitting at the table and Aria is making coffee.

Hanna "Morning" she greets them.

Spencer "Morning, Han"

Aria "Hey!" she smiles at her. "Want some coffee?"

Hanna "Sure" she tells her and then looks at Spencer. "You are not having anything?" she asks her while having seat at the table.

Spencer shakes her head. "Morning sickness" she purses her lips.

Hanna "Oh"

Emily walks into the kitchen too. "Hey, cutie" she smiles at Chocolate while petting him. "Hey, guys" she greets the girls as well and has seat on the chair next to Hanna's.

Aria "Orange juice for you, right Em?"

Emily nods. "Thanks"

Spencer "Did Chocolate sleep in the bed with you and Ali?"

Hanna "Um..." she is thinking what to say.

Emily "Actually… I asked Hanna to change rooms, so I slept with Ali" she says, saving her ass and Hanna thanks her with a smile.

Aria "You guys made up?"

Emily "We're on it… let's just say that we are better"

Spencer "Good" she smiles.

Toby shows up as well. "Morning everyone!" he greets them all and approaches Spencer. "Feeling sick again?" he asks her as she stands up for him to sit down on her chair.

Spencer "Yeah" she says and once he is sitting on the chair, she sits on his lap.

Toby "You should have woken me up" he presses a kiss on her shoulder.

Spencer chuckles. "I'm fine… I guess I'm getting used to it, and you were pretty tired"

Toby "Still" he pecks her lips.

Hanna "You are such a cutie" she tells Toby with a wide smile on her face.

Toby "Please, don't call me that"

Spencer chuckles. "Hanna's right. You are a cutie, deal with it"

Ezra "Morning, cutie" he tells Toby as he steps into the kitchen, making fun of him after having overheard them.

The girls laugh out loud, and although Toby doesn't laugh, he can't help smiling amused.

Aria "We should come back here for Toby's next birthday!"

Emily "Totally! It will be so fun, with the baby already here"

Hanna "Yeah, and we can take care of your baby while you give Toby his special birthday present, Spence" she says amused.

Toby "You told them about the-?"

Spencer "Shh…" she shushes him just in time. "They don't know that much" she blushes.

Everyone laughs again.

Alison "Hey, it's just the morning and you are already laughing this much?" she says smiling as she enters the room.

Caleb "Seems like we are missing out all the fun" he adds, coming right after her.

/

After breakfast.

The guys are enjoying another day at the lake.

Hanna is standing at the shore playing with Chocolate who is all wet after having been swimming. Spencer is there with them too.

Hanna "Go for it" she tells him while throwing a stick away for him to go after it.

Caleb comes out of the lake and stands next to her. "He surely will sleep like a baby tonight too"

Hanna chuckles. "Yeah… he loves being here"

Chocolate comes back with the stick and gives it to Hanna. She throws it again, but this time Caleb picks up from the ground another stick and he throws it away as well, so Chocolate goes get that one instead of Hanna's.

Hanna "Hey!" she says and turns to Caleb. "What the hell?"

Caleb smirks.

Hanna gives him the middle finger.

Spencer laughs. "Have you ever tried calling him at the same time from different places?"

Hanna "No"

Spencer "Okay, let's try it, you go to the right" she tells Hanna. "And you Caleb go to the left… I'm holding him here" she grabs Chocolate by his collar.

Hanna "What? No, poor baby. I'm not doing that"

Caleb laughs. "That's because you know you are going to lose. He's obviously coming with me"

Hanna "Oh, please! He's my dog, of course he would choose me"

Caleb "Okay, let's see then… if you are that sure…"

Hanna "Fine. Let's do it" she says and starts walking to the right, away from them.

Caleb does the same and goes to the left.

Spencer "Okay. On the count of three"

Both Hanna and Caleb nod, already ready.

Spencer "One… Two… Three" she yells and releases Chocolate.

Hanna and Caleb start calling Chocolate, by his name, nicknames, and they also use keywords like "walk", "treat" and "ball", words that the dog recognizes. But none of that seems to work because Chocolate remains in his place, turning his look from Hanna to Caleb and from Caleb to Hanna over and over again, confused but still excited, not knowing what to do.

Emily "Oh, please, poor dog" she says and picks up from the floor the stick that Chocolate was playing with before. "Stop torturing him, you are driving him crazy" she throws the stick for him and Chocolate runs after it.

Hanna "Hey! He was about to come to me!" she says while walking back to Spencer and Emily.

Caleb "Yeah, you wish" he approaches the girls as well.

Hanna "You started to offer him some treats. That was cheating"

Caleb "You told him you would take him for a walk. It's the same"

Hanna "But that was after you mentioned the treats"

Emily chuckles. "You two look like a couple of divorced parents"

Hanna "Yeah, well, he's not the dad, so… I win the custody" she jokes along.

Caleb "Oh, please, of course I am, he's got my eyes"

Hanna "Well, so you tell me when it was that we made him because I wasn't there… or maybe it wasn't that good and I just don't recall" she fires back.

Spencer and Emily burst out of laughter.

Spencer "She just knocked you out" she tells Caleb, still laughing.

Emily "Yeah, she just beat your ass with that one"

Caleb shrugs. "He still likes me better" he pets Chocolate's head.

Hanna smiles amused, and wrapping an arm around Caleb's neck, she presses a kiss on his cheek. "He loves us both equally" she says, ending with the jokes.

/

The group have sandwiches for a fast lunch and then they stay sitting at the table chatting a little and taking a break from the hot weather outside.

Hanna "Well, I'll go take a shower now" she says at some point and stands up from her chair.

Aria "A shower now? We still have half of the day ahead"

Hanna "Not me… I'm leaving in a bit more than an hour" she heads for the stairs.

Spencer "Why?"

Hanna "Gotta go to DC" she yells while going upstairs.

Alison "Can't believe she is leaving earlier to go see that jerk she has as a boyfriend"

Emily gives her a death glare.

Alison "Sorry, Jordan" she corrects herself, she is trying really hard to be kinder.

Aria "Yeah, she could have chosen another weekend, I mean, she hasn't gone see him not even once since she got here, why now?"

Toby "Leave her alone, guys. She was here for my birthday at least"

Emily "Yes, and you don't know what's going on between Jordan and her"

Alison is about to say that they are probably fighting again, but she keeps her mouth shut for the sake of her relationship with Emily.

Aria "She is taking Chocolate with her?"

Caleb "No, he's staying with me" he says and turns to look at Chocolate who is lying next to him on the floor. "Right, buddy?"

Although Hanna hasn't asked him to keep the dog for a few days yet, he knows she will leave Chocolate with him.

Spencer "So you knew she was leaving?"

Caleb "Yeah, she asked me yesterday if I could keep Chocolate for a few days" he lies.

Aria "Well, that explains her huge suitcase. She already had it planned"

Alison "Please, we are talking about Hanna" she chuckles. "It wouldn't surprise me that she brought such a suitcase only for two days"

Emily smiles amused. "Oh please! You cannot speak, you are just like her"

Aria "Well boys, it's your turn to clear the table, we did it yesterday" she says while standing up from her chair.

Toby "Sorry, what? We are here for my birthday, I'm doing nothing"

Spencer "I'm sorry to break it to you, but you lost your birthday privileges at midnight. Wash the dishes, babe" she stands up as well.

Caleb starts to clear off the table. "Come on, guys" he tells Ezra and Toby. "What is fair, is fair..."

Ezra "You are such a henpecked" he says but still stands up from his chair and starts to help him.

Aria "No, he is a gentleman" she corrects Ezra while going outside, following the girls.

Once they are outside, they go back to lie down on their blankets to sunbath just like they were doing before lunch.

Aria "I don't know if it is just me guys, but Caleb fits so well in our group that I feel like he has always been here"

Spencer "Yeah, totally! And he is so kind. He and Toby have so much in common, they practically became buddies in just a couple of days"

Alison "He would be perfect for Han, if she weren't engaged to that ass" she says and immediately looks at Emily. "I won't apologize this time, Hanna is not here and he is an ass" she tells her, since she promised Emily she would no longer speak ill of Jordan in front of Hanna.

Spencer "Yes, they would be perfect for each other… I really thought that there was something there, but she doesn't even mind that he is seeing some girl, so I guess she was right and she only had a crush on him. Besides, they are great friends and she is still with Jordan after all"

Alison "You should have seen her at Camp Mona, she got so jealous when I Introduced Sabrina to him. But well, I guess it didn't work"

Aria "You did what?"

Alison "I introduced Sabrina to him… Emily's friend. She is a lesbian, but Hanna didn't know that. I did it to push her to her edge and make her do something, but she is too damn stubborn, so nothing happened"

Aria "I think we should just let them be and start thinking what we are wearing for Hanna's wedding"

Alison "Why? She doesn't even know when she's getting married, if she does… with or without Caleb, Jordan is not good for her, and I hope she realizes in time"

Emily remains silent, she can't tell them what she saw the night before, but she's not going to fake either.

/

After clearing the table, Caleb goes upstairs and knocks on the door of the room that he shared with Hanna the previous night. Chocolate is with him.

Hanna "Come in" she yells from inside the room so Caleb opens the door and steps inside.

Hanna's suitcase is on one of the beds and she is standing before it, packing her things.

Hanna "Hey, you" she shoots him a smile as she folds a skirt and puts it into the suitcase.

Caleb "Hey" he says and goes sit down on the other bed.

Chocolate goes to Hanna, he stands next to her and stares at her as she packs another of her garments.

Hanna smiles at him. "My hotel is not pet friendly. You are staying with Caleb, baby" she tells him and then turns to Caleb and approaches him. She stands in front of him "That's okay with you, right?"

Caleb looks up and smiles at her. "Of course"

Then, he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her closer to him. He spreads his legs a little for her to stand between them. He hugs her, his cheek pressed against her stomach.

Caleb "I'm gonna miss you"

Hanna smiles while caressing his hair. "I'm gonna miss you too"

Caleb "Come here" he says and releases her from his grip.

Hanna sits down on his lap and they share a relaxed slow kiss that allows them to enjoy each move and touch of their mouths. But after a while, Hanna pulls away. She would keep kissing him longer, but she knows there are some things they need to talk about before she leaves.

Hanna "I'll stay in a hotel, I already booked a room… I'm going straight there once I get to DC and I'm going to go see Jordan tomorrow" She tells him, looking into his eyes. "I didn't tell him that I was coming, so I am not sure if he will be there or if he will be able to see me. Anyway, I'll stay there for some days if it's necessary. I'm not coming back to Rosewood until I talk to him. I won't come back with my things still unsolved" with one of her hands on his nape, she starts to caress his short hair again. "Is there something else you would like to ask me? Besides the no-kisses thing that obviously wasn't going to happen anyway?"

Caleb shakes his head. "No… just let me know when you get there, fine?"

Hanna nods.

Caleb "And I don't want you to keep me updated about anything, spare me the details, I would rather not know everything or I'll go crazy. Just do what you have to do and take your time… well, don't take too long, I'll be here waiting for you"

Hanna "So you trust me?"

Caleb nods. "Of course I do. I told you so this morning"

Hanna "Yeah, but you also talked about needing stability and security, and you still seem uncomfortable with me going to DC, so I want you to tell me what makes you feel that way, because you really have nothing to worry about. You should be happy that I am finally getting my things solved"

Caleb "Han… you have to put yourself in my place… of course it makes me excited the fact that you will be finally available to start something with me… but as much as I trust you, I can't help feeling a little…mm… scared? about you going there. The other night you left my house so sure about ending it all right away over the phone, and I built my hopes up so bad that it was like a slap in my face when I found out that you couldn't do it. I think Jordan has some power over you, he makes you change your mind every time you guys talk" What Caleb actually thinks is that Jordan is a fucking selfish manipulator, but he is not telling her that. "On top of that, I don't like his friend either, that George guy. I will never forget all those things he was yelling at you over the phone that night at Toby's. He crossed the line that night. So, yes, it makes me anxious thinking of you being there. But anyway, there's nothing I can do. I have to endure the situation"

Hanna "Jordan didn't make me change my mind the other night, I would be back with him if he had... and probably about to get married" she rolls her eyes. "Anyway, he told me that he was planning our wedding as a surprise for me, that's why I got back to my first idea of talking to him in person, I think he really needs a closure, that's all. I had the time to realize that our relationship was finished, to see all the things that weren't working and to stop fooling myself, but he didn't. He still thinks that we have a chance. But I didn't change my mind about breaking up with him and it will never happen. And yes, George is an ass, but I don't care, I don't think I will run into him, and if I do, I'll just ignore him. Anyway, you wouldn't be scared or worried if you trusted me, or if you believed in the strength of my feelings for you. But it's okay, like I said this morning, I'll show you that I'm serious about us"

Caleb "Hey, I said I trust you, I really meant it" he takes his hand to her face and places a strand of her hair behind her ear, clearing her face to stroke her cheek with his thumb.

Hanna doesn't answer. She only stares at him and he knows that she is not convinced about his words yet.

Caleb gives her a smile. "I'll tell you what… I trust you so much that I will ask you something now, since I won't be there right after you talk to Jordan…"

Hanna remains silent, looking at him expectantly. Clueless about where he is going.

Caleb "The moment you break up with him… wanna be my girlfriend?"

Hanna's serious expression changes as a wide smile appears on her face.

Caleb "So?" he asks, still smiling and runs his thumb along her bottom lip.

Hanna "Yes, of course I do" she says, completely lost in his chocolate eyes.

Caleb "See? I trust you, I'm giving you a blank check here. So, that's it, I won't be there, but the moment you walk away from him, you will be my girlfriend"

Hanna smiles again. She takes his face in her hands, cupping his cheeks, and she kisses him intensely, trying to somehow show him what he just caused her to feel.

/

Hanna "Bye, baby… I love you" she presses a kiss on Chocolate's head and stands up straight. "Take care of him" she tells Caleb.

Caleb "You know I will, you don't have to ask"

Caleb has walked Hanna to her car and after putting her suitcase into her trunk, they are saying their goodbyes.

Caleb "You take care, okay?" he places his palms on her shoulders. "Don't forget to let me know when you get there" he says, staring into her eyes.

Hanna nods.

Caleb "And please, call me if you need anything. No matter what. I'll take my car and drive straight there if you need me"

Hanna smiles. "I'll be fine, Caleb"

Caleb "I know, but still"

Hanna "Come here" she wraps her arms around him, pressing him against her body in a hug.

Caleb hugs her back, then, still in the hug, they share a romantic goodbye kiss.

Hanna is already in her car, about to leave when she remembers something and rolls down her window.

Hanna "Babe…"

Caleb "Yeah?" he asks while approaching her car.

Hanna "I forgot to ask you something…"

Caleb nods.

Hanna "If I turned my GPS location off on my phone, could it still be tracked by someone?"

Caleb "Well, I could do it… but not a person with basic knowledge about cell-phones since it would be harder if you turned the GPS location off, it would require more effort and it would definitely take some more time"

Hanna "Okay, thank you… one more kiss before I go"

But Caleb doesn't move. He stares at her.

Caleb "Why are you asking me about that though?"

Hanna "It's nothing, I was just curious"

Caleb "Come on, tell me. I'm not letting you go until you tell me the truth"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "It's no big deal"

Caleb passes his arm through the window of her car and once he reaches the car keys, he stops the car and takes the keys out.

Hanna "Fine" she gives up. "Jordan asked George to track my phone the other day so he could send me the presents, that's how he knew I was at your place"

Caleb bites his bottom lip. Trying to hold back the words that are threating to escape his mouth. He definitely can't stand those two jerks.

Hanna "Hey, it's okay. It's just a stupid thing… I shouldn't have asked you"

Caleb "It's not a stupid thing, they can't just go around tracking your phone… that's creepy, even if he's your… stupid fiancée… and what's wrong with that other fuck-up that he has as a friend?" Caleb can't help his words now. "You sure you still want to go there?"

Hanna nods. "It's no big deal, Caleb. I'm pretty sure George doesn't know shit about tracking phones, so don't worry. Besides, Jordan only did it to send me those presents… I don't want to have him sending me things to my hotel once I let him know that I am in DC, or have him just showing up over there, since I haven't been taking his calls… that's all. I've already turned off my GPS location anyway, and it's been off for days now"

Caleb only nods.

Hanna "Hey, everything will be fine… and I'll come back being your girlfriend" she smiles at him, trying to reassure him.

Caleb "Okay" he finally leans forward and kisses her once more. He tries to enjoy every touch of her mouth, not knowing when it will be the next time he can kiss her.

After their soft kiss, Caleb gives her back her car keys.

Caleb "Stay safe"

Hanna "You too, babe" she smiles at him again before lowering her window and pulling out.

* * *

Hey guys! Well, I'll just leave you this chapter to read and then I'll go to sleep because it's already late here in Argentina haha.

As always, thanks for your amazing reviews and I'm looking forward to know what you think about this chapter as well :)


	21. Chapter 21

Hanna "Babe, I just arrived. I'm already at the hotel. What are you up to? How's Chocolate?" she texts Caleb after plopping down on the bed in her hotel room.

Caleb "On our way back" he only types and adds a pic of Chocolate lying on the back seat of his car.

Hanna "Okay, don't text while driving. I'm ordering room service and then I'm going straight to bed, I'm exhausted. Talk to you tomorrow! Xx" she puts her phone down and takes the room phone to order something for dinner.

/

Next day.

Hanna stops her car at the entrance gate of Jordan's father's mansion. She gets out of the car and goes ring the doorbell.

"Hello?" a voice comes out from the intercom.

Hanna "Hello. It's me, Hanna Marin" she says and looks at the security camera that she knows it's right above.

"Oh, Hanna! Welcome back, dear! Jordan didn't tell us that you were coming. Please, come in" Hanna can recognize Eloise's voice, the housekeeper.

The gate opens, so Hanna gets back in her car and drives her way to the mansion entrance where she parks. Once she gets to the front door, Eloise is already standing there, waiting for her.

Eloise "Hanna! Nice to see you again!" she greets her with a smile on her face and moves to the side to let her in.

Hanna smiles back. "Hi, Eloise" she says while going into the house. "Nice to see you too"

Eloise "I'll send someone to get your baggage immediately"

Hanna "Oh, that's not necessary, I didn't bring any. I'm only passing through… Is Jordan here?"

Eloise "I'm afraid Mr. Hobart is not in the city at the moment…"

Hanna "Do you know when he is coming back?"

Eloise shakes her head no. "I'm sorry, they travel all the time, you already know. I couldn't tell you…"

Hanna gives her a slight nod.

Eloise "Do you need anything? Can I help you with something, Hanna?" she asks, since it seems strange to her that Hanna, being Jordan's fiancée, doesn't know about his travel agenda.

Hanna "Mmm… I don't-… Actually, can I give you my phone number and can you let me know when Jordan is back?"

Eloise "Yes, sure"

Hanna goes through her purse and then she takes out a piece of paper and a pen and she writes down her number. Then, she hands it to Eloise.

Hanna "Thank you, Eloise"

Eloise "No problem"

Hanna "Well, I should go now…"

Eloise nods and opens the front door for Hanna. But as soon as she steps outside, Hanna spots Jordan's father getting out of a black car and right after him, George shows up as well, over the other side of the car.

Jordan's father "Hanna! What a surprise!" he says excitedly while walking toward her.

Hanna does her best and fakes a smile, even though all she thinks at that very moment is "Shit, shit, shit"

Hanna "Hi, Mr. Hobart"

Jordan's father "Please, Hanna, just call me Frank"

Hanna "Yes, sorry… I forgot" she apologizes, since he has asked her to call him by his first name several times already.

George "Hi, Hanna" he only says after approaching them as well.

Hanna "Hi" she answers back just as coldly.

Jordan's father "So nice to see you again, Hanna… Jordan didn't let me know that you were coming"

Hanna "Well, he didn't know… he doesn't even know that I am here"

Jordan's father "So, it's a surprise?"

Hanna "Mmm, kind of" she only says, a little unsure.

Jordan's father "Please, come on in"

Hanna "I was just leaving, I-"

Jordan's father interrupts her. "Please Hanna, that Jordan isn't here doesn't mean that you can't stay" he tells her and then looks at Eloise. "Please, Eloise, prepare Jordan's room for her"

Hanna "Oh, no, that's not necessary. I already booked in a hotel… I just stopped by to see Jordan… when is he coming back?"

Jordan's father turns his gaze toward George.

George "Not sure. He's in New York"

Hanna "New York?"

George "He had a meeting there, or something" he shrugs.

Jordan's father "Hanna, I insist, you should stay here. I cannot let you stay in a hotel. Go get your things"

Hanna "Thank you, Frank, but I think I should go, I-"

Jordan's father "Oh, come on, stay. Make yourself at home… I have a few things to do, but I'll see you later, I'll ask Eloise to prepare a special dinner for tonight"

Hanna "Look, Frank, I appreciate it… but…" she sighs. "Jordan and I aren't doing so well lately… in fact, it's been some days since last time we talked, so… I think it would be better if I go. I only came here to talk to him… but thank you, anyway" she forces a slight smile. She wasn't planning to tell Jordan's father about what's going on between his son and her, since she thinks it should be Jordan the one to talk to his father, and only if he wanted. But since Frank is being too insisting on making her stay, she has no option.

Jordan's father "Oh… What happened? I thought you guys were planning the wedding already" he says, completely surprised after hearing what Hanna just told him. "Anyway, I'm sure you will sort things out, you are such a perfect couple, and I can't wait for you two to tie the knot and give me beautiful grandchildren" he heads to the front door. "Well, then, I'll see you any of these days… don't hesitate to come here if you need anything, you are already part of the family" he tells her before going into the house along with Eloise.

George "Are you fucking crazy? Did you lose your mind?" he tells Hanna in a very bad way.

Hanna "No, you lost your mind! What's wrong with you? You don't talk to me like that again"

George "You can't tell Frank such a thing! What were you thinking?"

Hanna "I just told him the truth, I'm not staying at his house when I only came here to break up with his son… why am I even explaining it to you? Mind your own business" she tells him and gets into her car.

When Hanna starts to drive away, George walks to the front door and as soon as he steps into the house, he finds Frank standing there, waiting for him.

Jordan's father "You better get that solved. The campaign strategy that you proposed for me won't work without Hanna and I need to improve my public image. I need a family to show off" he says and heads for the stairs. "Besides, she's not like all those random whores that you fuck every night… I don't want my son to end up just like you, and I don't want a slut to be the mother of my grandchildren either" he adds while going upstairs.

/

As soon as Hanna gets in her hotel room, her phone starts ringing. She is in a really bad mood already and she hopes it's not Caleb the one calling her, since he would notice her mood right away and she doesn't want to give him a reason to get worried. But it's not Caleb. It's Jordan. And although she doesn't feel like talking to him either, she knows that she needs to pick up that call. She's there in Washington DC only to see him after all.

Hanna "Hi"

Jordan "Han, what did you do?" he asks right away, sounding a little sad.

Hanna "What?" she tries to ask as coolly as she can, although panic invades her body while wondering if he found out about she and Caleb somehow.

Jordan "You went to my father's and told him about our relationship problems? What's wrong with you?"

Hanna "I didn't do that! I went there to see you and your dad was insisting for me to stay, I had to tell him… besides, I didn't tell him anything in particular, just that we needed to talk. It was George, right? He told you that? He is always telling bullshit, you need to stop listening to everything that he tells you. He's an idiot"

Jordan "Hey, stop it. It's my friend who you are talking about"

Hanna "I only came here to see you, because you asked me so. But you know what? I'll just take my stuff and go back to Rosewood. I'm done"

Jordan "What? No! Stay there… Look, I'm sorry, okay? Can you wait for me two days? I'm coming back the day after tomorrow, I'll see you then"

Hanna sighs. As frustrated and annoyed as she feels, and as strong as her wanting to go back to Caleb is as well, she drove all the way there only to talk to Jordan, and she knew it could take a few days, so it would be pointless to give up just yet, besides she really wants to end with all the situation once and for all.

Hanna "Okay, I'll stay until the day after tomorrow then"

Jordan "Thank you"

There's a silent moment and then Jordan speaks again.

Jordan "Why didn't you come to Boston if you still wanted to see me? Why did you stop answering my calls?"

Hanna "It doesn't matter why. I'm here now"

Jordan "I was going to go to Rosewood after leaving New York"

Hanna "Well, I saved you some time I guess"

Jordan "Do you want me to get you a plane ticket here?" he suddenly offers.

Hanna "No, it's fine… I have my car, so I'll just wait for you here"

Jordan "Come on, you can go get back your car after. It would be nice to be back home together… don't you miss our place? Your things? Our bed? I didn't realize how homesick I was feeling until I got here"

Hanna sighs. She can't believe how Jordan is still so clueless. He probably thinks that they are getting back together after their talk, and that being back at their apartment in New York somehow could help him to get to her more easily. But Rosewood is her home, her friends are her home, Chocolate is her home, her mom, and also Caleb makes her feel at home although it hasn't been long since he came into her life.

Hanna "No, I'm staying here and I'll see you on Wednesday"

Jordan "Okay, I guess that's better than nothing at all… I miss you… I know it's been a bit more than two weeks since last time I saw you, but it feels like a lifetime"

Hanna "Jordan, please"

Jordan "It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything, I just wanted you to know how much I miss you…"

Hanna "Okay, I gotta go now"

Jordan "Wait… where are you staying?"

Hanna "At a hotel"

Jordan "Which one?"

Hanna "It doesn't matter"

Jordan "Okay… just keep in mind that despite our current situation, my room at my father's is still available for you, and Eloise adores you, so, just let her know if you need anything"

Hanna "Okay, thank you. See you on Wednesday…"

Jordan "Fine. See you, baby. Take care"

Hanna "Bye" she only says before ending the call.

Hearing that 'baby' from Jordan just sounded very strange to her. Probably because she already got used to hear that word from Caleb's mouth and that same word said by Jordan, doesn't cause her body to go in shock as it does when it's Caleb. And there she is, thinking of Caleb again. It amazes her how anything that pops up into her mind ends up making her think about him. Even when she ordered room service the night before, while going through the menu, she found herself wondering what Caleb would order for himself if he were there with her.

Unlike a while ago, when she got back from the Hobart mansion and her mood was really bad, she feels like talking to Caleb now. But since her day has gone shitty so far and her mood isn't at its best yet, she decides to wait and call him later, before going to bed maybe.

She decides to go out to the balcony for some fresh air, and completely absent-minded, she takes a cigarette and a lighter from her purse on her way out. It's not until she sits down on the chair out there and is about to light her cigarette that she realizes what she is about to do, and right away, Caleb comes to her mind again. So, she puts the cigarette down on the little table next to her and takes a deep breath. She will go crazy being alone with her own mind haunting her with a thousand thoughts per second for the next two days.

/

Later.

After an hour of boring herself to death in her hotel room, and not wanting to deal with her overwhelming thoughts anymore, Hanna decided to go shopping, which is something that has always cheer her up while feeling upset. But shopping didn't help this time.

Now, still at the mall, she is having a salad for dinner at the food court. As much as she tried, her bad mood was stronger than her love for fashion and she hasn't found anything she liked. Only one little bag is there next to her purse, but it's nothing for herself, it's a white baby bodysuit that she loved at first sight and couldn't help buying it for Spencer's baby.

She's finishing her salad when her phone buzzes and seeing Caleb's name on the screen causes her first real smile of the day. It's a text from him.

Caleb "Hey! Aren't you going to show some sign of life?"

Hanna "Hey!" she texts him back along with three red heart emojis. "I'm on my way back to the hotel, I'll call you when I get there" she grabs her things and leaves the table.

/

Already lying on her bed, Hanna takes her phone and calls Caleb.

Caleb "Hi, you"

Hanna smiles. "Hey, baby… how are you?"

Caleb "I'm doing well, and before you ask, Chocolate is very well too"

Hanna chuckles. He knows her so much.

Caleb "What about you?"

Hanna "I'm good… quite bored though…"

Caleb "Why bored? Thought you were out"

Hanna "Yeah, I was at the mall… I went shopping and then stayed there for dinner, but I don't know… it felt kind of lonely… I guess I needed one of my girls there"

Caleb "Why one of the girls? What about me?"

Hanna smiles. "Because you don't like shopping… I would do something different with you if you were here"

Caleb "Oh… like what?" he asks playfully.

Hanna "Like taking Chocolate for a walk" she says, cutting any kind of sexy atmosphere before it even starts.

Caleb "Chocolate wouldn't be there, he's not allowed in your hotel"

Hanna "Well, so you wouldn't be here either, because I wouldn't leave him with anyone else"

Caleb smiles.

Hanna "What did you do today?"

Caleb "Well, now that my house is finished, I'm going to renovate the backyard, so I met up with the contractor and a garden designer this afternoon"

Hanna "What do you have in mind?"

Caleb "The backyard is pretty large, so I was thinking on a pool, not so large though, because I want a hot tub as well, a deck, and then a sitting area with a grill… and a few plants too… but I also want to leave room for Chocolate to play and run around as he likes, so the garden designer is going to plan a good distribution for all that and then meet up with me and the contractor again"

Hanna "Wow, it sounds great, babe… I like the hot tub part" she grins.

Caleb "Yeah, me too… and I like it even more when I picture us in it… I'm definitely asking the contractor to change the actual fence for a higher one"

Hanna laughs.

Hanna and Caleb keep talking over the phone for a few hours, he even puts the call on speakerphone to keep talking to Hanna while having dinner, and Hanna does the same later when she takes a shower, which causes a lot of fun spicy comments from Caleb that have them laughing out loud several times, since thinking of a naked Hanna showering while talking to him, gets him in a very playful mood. They only end the call once both of them get sleepy after having continued their chatting for a while longer after going to bed. During that long conversation, Caleb never asks Hanna about Jordan or anything. They just chat like if they were hanging out together.

/

Wednesday. The day Jordan is returning to DC. The day Hanna is finally having the talk that she has been waiting to have with him for a long while.

Hanna has woken up really early even though she is not meeting up with Jordan until the afternoon. Her anxiety and nervousness are at a very high level. Several possible talks between Jordan and herself have been made up by her mind as she tried to force herself to have breakfast, and most of them not ending in a good way. Now she is finishing tidying up her room, since all her stuff was all around the place in a huge mess, and her phone starts ringing on the bed.

Hanna "Hey Em!" she answers after having checked the screen.

Emily "Heeey! How are you doing? You barely showed up on the group chat these last days"

Hanna "Yeah, I know… I'm just a bit nervous… I'm meeting up with Jordan in a few hours"

Emily "So you haven't seen him yet?"

Hanna "No, he was in New York"

Emily "What was he doing back in New York?"

Hanna "I don't know, we are not exactly speaking so much… I guess he had a meeting there or something… Have you seen Caleb?"

Emily "No, I haven't seen any of the guys since we got back from the lake… but the girls were talking about getting together for a coffee at The Brew later, I can invite him to come if you want, Ezra will be there"

Hanna "Yes, please… Check on him for me. He sounded good over the phone, but still… he wasn't too excited about me coming here"

Emily "Okay, I will. Don't worry"

Hanna "You think I should tell Jordan about me and Caleb? I feel like I should be honest with him, but at the same time I don't want to hurt him. I want us to end well"

Emily "And why do you want to tell him about it?"

Hanna "I don't know… I feel guilty, I cheated on him, Em… I was planning to telling him, but now I don't know"

Emily "Well, I think there's no need for him to know. I mean, what's the point? You are breaking up with him after all, it's not like you screwed up and now you want to let him know so you two can make up and go on with your relationship. So, it's the same if he learns about it or not. I think you will hurt him less if you don't mention it"

Hanna "Yes, you are right… I guess I only wanted to tell him not to feel so guilty, to feel better with myself, but it would be kind of selfish of me… and Caleb is not the reason why I am breaking up with him anyway"

Emily "Okay… I gotta go now, I just wanted to check on you… let me know how things go with Jordan"

Hanna "Okay, you let me know how Caleb is"

Emily chuckles. "Sure"

Hanna "Well, talk to you later… wish me luck"

Emily "Oh, please. You don't need it. Just sort your things out so you can come back soon. I love you! Bye, Han"

Hanna "Love you too. Bye!"

/

Later.

Hanna and Jordan have agreed on meeting up at Hanna's hotel lobby and now there she is waiting for him, sitting on a couch, feeling even more nervous and anxious than she did before, absent-minded while staring into space.

Suddenly, she feels a hand on her shoulder followed by a familiar voice.

Jordan "Hey"

Hanna turns her head and finds his smiley face. She gets up from her seat right away.

Hanna "Hey" she shoots him a slight smile.

But Jordan gets closer to her and pulls her into a hug before she has the chance to say anything else. Hanna only places her hands on his shoulders.

Jordan "I have missed you so much" he places a kiss on her cheek.

Hanna pulls away from the hug before taking the risk of receiving another kiss, since he could seek for her mouth the next time and she is keeping the promise she made to Caleb. No kisses.

Jordan "Want to go somewhere? For a coffee, maybe?"

Hanna "Mmm… I think we should go talk to a more private place…"

Jordan only nods. He knows that that is not a good sign.

Hanna "Want to come to my room?" she suggests.

Jordan "Sure… let's go"

They walk toward the elevator.

Jordan "So, how's everything going in Rosewood?" he asks when they step into the elevator, trying to make some casual conversation.

/

Hanna "Well… this is harder than I thought…" she says and sighs.

She and Jordan are sitting on the couch of her room. All the possible talks with Jordan that she played over and over again in her head seem to have vanished away now that he is right in front of her and she doesn't even know how to start the long-awaited talk.

Jordan "Hey, it's me" he grabs her hand. "It doesn't have to be this hard"

Hanna nods but takes her hand away. Jordan notices that she's not wearing the engagement ring.

Jordan "You took your ring off again"

Hanna nods. She stands up from the couch and goes take the ring from the bedside table where she placed it before. Then she goes sit down back on the couch.

Hanna "Here" she says while handing him the tiny object. "It's yours" just like that, she finds her way and goes straight to her point. "Sorry, I can't keep doing this anymore. Like I told you the other day, we can't keep fooling ourselves…"

Jordan "So this is it? You are breaking up with me just like this?"

Hanna "What do you mean by 'just like this'? I drove all the way here just to talk to you in person"

Jordan "But you are not even giving me a chance… giving us a chance" he corrects himself. "A chance to save our relationship, you don't just end things only because they don't work, you try to fix them first"

Hanna "That's not true… we have been having problems even since before going to Rosewood, and yes, things got worse when you left and I stayed there, but still… you didn't try to work things out before that, you made promises that you didn't keep, but I'm not blaming you, I am guilty as well… we just don't work together, we want different things"

Jordan "Tell me what you want, Hanna… I'm willing to give it another try"

Hanna "Some things can't be fixed Jordan…"

Jordan "Yes, they can. I can take some days off, we can go on a trip, spend some time together, reconnect… I'll propose to you again, I'll save this ring for you until we are good again… getting married is important to me but I won't pressure you"

Hanna "Jordan, I don't-"

Jordan "I haven't finished yet. You wanted to focus on your career as well, we can go back to New York, I still need to be here for my father, but we can spend half the week there and the other half here, I only need a few more months, but then we will stay there definitely"

Hanna "I no longer want the same as I wanted before, Jordan…"

Jordan "Okay, just tell me what you want… Do you want kids? We still can find a new place to move in. It can be a house with a large garden for your dog… a big house where we can start a family"

Hanna "Fuck, Jordan! You have no idea! How can you be so clueless?" she explodes now. "Kids? You talk to me about kids? We are breaking up and you ask me if I want kids?" she stands up from the couch. "You don't have kids to fix a relationship, that's not how it works. Besides we already talked about it when we were doing fine and you told me that you didn't want to have kids for at least two or three years. But anyway, that's not what I want either, so I don't care… I don't want to go back to New York for my career, I don't want you to propose to me again, I don't want a wedding because I no longer want to get married, I'm done with making life plans… I just want to stay in Rosewood, that's where my family and friends are, that's where I feel at home"

When she finishes speaking she becomes aware of how Jordan's expression has changed. He has a very sad look on his face and he seems to be speechless.

Hanna "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be that hard… but I don't think we could work things out… we want different things" she adds, softer and calmer this time, trying to slow a little down. She sits back on the couch next to him.

Jordan "Why are you so sure, Han? I didn't come here to break up, I came here to fight for us… If moving back to Rosewood means that much to you, then we can find a way" he says while staring into her eyes. "We can buy a house there as well… I think we could go back to what we were before if we remain together. Just the two of us spending more time together… and when we are ready, I'll put this ring back on your finger myself" he says, very serious, holding the ring between his fingers. "I'm only asking you for one more chance… that's all"

Hanna "I can't Jordan…" she tells him softly, with sad eyes.

Jordan "Why? Just give me a good reason not to fight for us and I'll leave you alone"

Hanna "You don't love me, Jordan… you love the idea of me… you like how we look together… but you don't know the real me"

Jordan "I do, Han… let me-"

Hanna cuts him off. "I kissed Caleb" she finally confesses. Despite the talk that she had with Emily a while ago, and despite having decided not to tell him about Caleb, she feels the need to tell him about it now, because it's the only way to make him see that there's no future for them anymore, for they relationship.

Jordan "You what?" are the only words that come out from Jordan's mouth, even though he knows what he just heard.

Hanna "I kissed Caleb… more than once"

Jordan sighs and looks down.

Hanna "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you… it just happened, I-"

Jordan looks back at her. "Did you sleep with him?" he asks, interrupting her.

Hanna remains silent for a second, but then she answers with a very soft "No"

And it's the truth, she didn't have sex with Caleb, although many of the things that they have done together could be considered almost as intimate as doing it. But anyway, sex being involved or not, what is happening between she and Caleb is way stronger than just sex. There are strong feelings involved.

Jordan "So it doesn't matter… I understand you, you were alone, confused, I wasn't there… I'm willing to leave everything behind, Han. Let's move on" he reaches out to grab her hand but she moves it away once more.

Hanna "Don't you get it, Jordan? You don't even care that I kissed him. I don't know why are you trying to keep me in your life so bad, but it's not love because you would care otherwise"

Jordan "Of course I care about it, Hanna… but what am I supposed to do? You kissed some other guy, fine, I don't like it… but I can't do anything about it! Besides, they were just kisses, right? You didn't even sleep with him, we will be fine"

Hanna "A lot of kisses, different days… and I wasn't feeling alone or confused, I wanted them, I wanted every single kiss… and I don't regret what I did… So that's why I am so sure about ending our relationship… there's no future for us, Jordan. Even if there wasn't anyone else… I'm sorry to tell you this this way, but you need me to be clear… I don't love you"

Jordan finally stands up from the couch. "So, I guess that's it" he says and starts walking toward the door.

Hanna "Wait" she says and stands up as well. "I also wanted to thank you for everything you did for me… thanks for being there for me the night Chocolate went missing and all the following ones" she says while approaching him. "I was a mess and every time you made a stop in Rosewood for work and asked me on a date, you gave me a reason to get up from my bed, dress up, do my make-up and go out. I know you didn't have to go to Rosewood for work all those times as you told me, so thank you for going there only for me… and well, moving with you to New York and going on all those trips with you also helped me a lot, so thank you"

Jordan takes a few steps closer to her and takes her face in his hands. "You know I would do it all over again…" he says, very close to her mouth. "Give me another chance" he is about to kiss her but Hanna pulls away. Apart from having promised Caleb that there wouldn't be kisses in the break-up, she doesn't feel like kissing Jordan either way.

Hanna "Jordan, please… just go, don't make this any harder"

Jordan nods. He walks back to the door and finally leaves.

Hanna remains standing there a few seconds, in the middle of the room, staring at the door. It was weird. The whole situation felt weird as fuck. Of course break-ups aren't supposed to be pleasant, but still. Jordan wasn't even nearly as affected as she supposed he would be. He didn't even seem to care about she and Caleb, his reaction wasn't as she expected. And even though he practically begged her for another chance, he didn't look so sad at the end. But it is a good thing, she supposes, he didn't end up too much hurt, and that was what she wanted the most. And she also confirmed that he didn't love her that much either after all. She couldn't even imagine how bad she would feel if she learned that Caleb kissed someone else although their relationship is barely starting. And that thought of hers leads her to think about Caleb again. What Caleb asked her at the lake house comes to her mind, now that she is no longer with Jordan, now that they are done, she's officially Caleb's girlfriend, and that, turns her concerned face into a wide smile in no time.

She wasn't planning to drive back to Rosewood until the next day, she barely slept during the night, she skipped lunch because of her nervousness, and she thought she would need to take a rest before starting her way back home. But now, her need to see Caleb as soon as possible is stronger than her tiredness and it makes her start to repack her suitcase right away. She's leaving. She's going back home.

/

As soon as Jordan makes his way into his father's mansion, he runs into George.

George "So, how did it go? When's the wedding?"

Jordan sighs and heads toward the stairs. "There won't be any wedding"

George "What?"

Jordan turns to look at him, from the stairs. "Hanna left me. She only wants to go back to that damn town. I couldn't convince her of anything. So, that's it. Just forget it, okay?" he only says, he will never ever admit to his friend that Hanna has not only cheated on him but also doesn't regret about it and that's pretty much why there weren't any more chances for him to save their relationship.

George "Oh, come on! You can't be serious! You are giving up just like that? Take her to Paris or something like that… how hard can it be dealing with her? Why don't you go back there and try again?"

Jordan "I'm not begging her anymore. Stop fucking annoying me" he says and turns back around. "We weren't going to get married next month anyway, so stop obsessing over it and find another way to plan your stupid campaign for my father" he adds while going upstairs.

George "It must be that damn dog again" he mumbles to himself. He's pretty convinced that it's all about Chocolate, since after the dog reappeared, Hanna never came back from Rosewood to join Jordan as she was supposed to do in the first place.

Once Jordan is gone, George takes his phone to make a call.

George "Hey… remember that little favor I did to you?" he asks on the phone a few seconds later. "Okay, so you also remember that you owe me" he adds then.

* * *

Well, I have to be honest, there's not much Haleb on this chapter, but things needed to start getting solved and well, I tried to make it all happen in only one chapter, so next one is about Haleb reunion. And well, drama is not over yet, but I guess you already know it by how this chapter just ended :) Anyway, I would like to know what you guys think that is going to happen...

Till next update! xx


	22. Chapter 22

Evening.

After having stopped by at her place to freshen up, Hanna is now walking toward Caleb's house, feeling excited to be about to see him again.

She parked her car a bit away from his place, since all the closer spaces were already taken, and on her way to the front door, she notices that those cars parked there, are her friends'. She sees Emily's, Ezra's and Alison's cars. She wonders if they are all at Toby and Spencer's… maybe they got together and Caleb is there as well. Anyway, she decides to ring the doorbell at Caleb's house and check there first.

After a couple of minutes of not getting any answer, she has not doubts, Caleb must be in the house next door, and so she goes there.

Now, she gets extremely anxious, standing at her friends' front door. It was never in her plans to meet him again in front of her friends, well, their friends now. She thought that she and Caleb would have a more intimate reunion, she was dreaming about it all the way back to Rosewood. But Caleb is in the house in front of her and she is not walking away because of her insecurities, because although she doesn't know if he is ready to let their friends know about their relationship just yet, and she was counting on having another talk with him about it, she really wants to see him as soon as possible.

She takes a deep breath, trying to chill out, and rings the doorbell.

Aria "Han! What are you doing here?" she greets her excitedly after opening the door.

Hanna "Hey!" she greets her back with a smile. "I just got back"

Aria "You could have told us you were coming, we already had dinner, we would have waited for you"

Hanna chuckles. "It's okay, I already ate"

Emily "Han!" she yells after hearing her friend's voice. "Come here, Chocolate! Look who is back" she calls the dog over as she approaches the front door.

Hanna "Hey, Em!" she greets Emily too while stepping into the house.

Chocolate gets there in no time, running so fast that he almost bumps a table on the way. He jumps over Hanna and places his front paws on her shoulders, standing on his hind legs.

Hanna laughs and hugs him. "Hi baby! You really missed me" she presses several kisses on the top of his head. "I missed you too" she releases him, but he keeps jumping around. "Hey, it's okay, buddy. Stay still" she tells him, trying to calm him down a bit.

Aria chuckles. "He was napping like a champ just a moment ago, and look at him now" she pets Chocolate on his back.

When Hanna looks up, she finds Emily staring at her, amusement in her face.

Emily "The guys are in the backyard, Caleb is there too" she tells her, still grinning.

Hanna only smiles in response and makes her way through the house to go to the backyard. Emily, Aria, and Chocolate go after her.

Spencer "Han! What are you doing here?" she asks as soon as Hanna comes out to the backyard.

Caleb, who is standing there, with a beer can in his hand, turns around right away after hearing Spencer, and as soon as his eyes meet Hanna's, a spontaneous grin appears on his face.

Hanna "Hi, guys" she greets everyone although her eyes are only fixed on Caleb's.

Caleb puts the can down on a table next to him and opens his arms for her.

That's Hanna's cue, the sign that she needed to let herself go, and not holding anything back, she rushes over and hugs him. He presses her hard against his body making that hug tighter.

Aria "Okay, what's going on here?" she asks amused.

Ignoring everything and everyone around them, Hanna pulls a little back from the embrace and taking Caleb's face in her hands, she starts to kiss him as passionately as she feels like doing so. And Caleb answers that kiss the same way, making disappear any doubt, feeling of insecurity or nervousness that could remain in her.

Toby "OOOH! What the fuck?" he exclaims amused and laughs.

Alison "It was about time" she smiles.

Spencer "Han, I can see your tongue from here" she jokes and laughs as well.

Ezra "Yeah, get a room" he adds.

Hanna only smiles in the kiss, kissing Caleb again feels way too good to interrupt it just to answer her friends with some other joke, plus, she is too focused on the kiss to think of something clever to come out with.

They keep kissing for a few more seconds and then it's Caleb who pulls away from her mouth, ending the kiss despite himself.

Caleb "Want something to drink?" he asks, still holding her by her waist.

Hanna "What? No!" she chuckles. "I'm not staying here, I just came to get you" she whispers to him and pushes her mouth back to his, going on with the kiss. "Let's get out of here" she says against his mouth after a few seconds and places one more peck on his lips before pulling away from the embrace. "Let's go to your place" she takes his hand.

Caleb gives her a playful smile.

Hanna "Bye, guys… I'm stealing this guy from you" she says and pulls from their joined hands, leading Caleb to the fence gate to leave.

Ignoring the jokes and funny comments that their friends make, mostly Ezra and Toby, since it's obvious what they are leaving for, Hanna and Caleb make their way out of the backyard. Chocolate follows them.

Caleb "Why didn't you tell me that you were coming back tonight?" he asks her, smiling, as he closes the fence gate behind him.

Hanna "I was going to come back tomorrow… but I couldn't wait" she tells him as she wraps her arms around his neck.

Caleb doesn't waste any time and kisses her again. He takes his hands to her thighs and picks her up. Hanna wraps her legs around his waist right away as she deepens the kiss. But that kiss only lasts very few seconds, because they still have to make it to Caleb's house.

Caleb "I'm glad you are here" he tells her after breaking the kiss, still holding her in his arms.

Hanna smiles and nuzzles her nose into the crook of his neck. "I'm happy to be back too" she whispers against his skin and starts to kiss him there.

Caleb lets out a deep breath and starts to walk to his house, carrying her. His mind blows while feeling Hanna's wet kisses on his neck and he is glad that he lives right next door.

Once he reaches the front door of his house, he holds Hanna with only one arm, resting her back against the door as he looks for his keys in his pocket. Hanna takes the opportunity to start unbuttoning his shirt.

Caleb chuckles. "Are you in a hurry?"

Hanna smiles amused in response, still focused on the buttons.

Caleb wraps his free arm back around her and pushes the door open. After making sure that Chocolate gets inside as well, he kicks it closed. By the time he reaches the first floor and heads for his bedroom, Hanna has already finished unbuttoning his shirt, so she gets back on her feet as soon as Caleb walks into the bedroom, and she takes his shirt off as he turns the lights on.

In just seconds both of them are left only in underwear. Still kissing, Caleb places his palms on her hipbones and starts to walk backwards carefully, leading her along with him to the bed where he sits down on the edge and pulls Hanna onto him. She wraps her legs around him, pressing herself against him. She feels his arousal when their crotches come in contact, and can't help moving a little, rubbing herself against him. She gets a groan from Caleb into her mouth and he drops his hands to her ass right away, squeezing it while accompanying her little soft moves.

Caleb lets go of her mouth to bury his face in the soft skin of Hanna's neck, but when he pulls back from her lips and looks down, her chest steals his attention. The top of her rounded breasts pressed against him, the contrast between her clear skin and the black lace of her bra, are too good to ignore, so he takes his face to her chest instead and starts to place soft open-mouthed kisses all over there. Hanna's breathing gets heavier in no time, she reaches behind her back to unclasp her bra and takes it off, giving him total freedom to do whatever he wants.

Caleb looks up at her, her eyes are still closed, but after two seconds of not feeling his mouth on her, she opens them again and meets his gaze.

Caleb can't believe the woman in front of him. He runs his eyes on her, taking in her perfect face, her piercing eyes, her swollen lips for so much kissing, her already flushed cheeks because of the heat of the moment, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders and before realizing, his eyes are back on her chest. He leans forward and takes one of her breasts into his mouth, he starts kissing it as if he were kissing her mouth, pressing his lips around her, playing with her nipple as he would do with her tongue, and a very sexy moan escapes from Hanna's mouth as she rests her forehead on the top of his head, giving in to the amazing touch of his mouth. A few seconds after, Caleb decides to give her other breast the same attention and when he switches, Hanna takes his hand and places it on the one that he just let go. Caleb can feel the wetness from his previous kissing on it as he starts rubbing her nipple with his thumb while starting to lick the other one.

Hanna enjoys all that special attention from him until she can't stand the aching throb between her legs anymore, in the exact place where her body needs him already. So, after a while, she straightens up and cupping his cheeks, she makes him look at her.

Hanna "I think we already had enough foreplay… I need you, babe"

Caleb bites his bottom lip and nods. He totally agrees with her. He takes her face in his hands as well and pulls her into another passionate kiss.

Then, he pushes her off his lap to the mattress. He places his hand on her shoulder and pushes her back softly, making her lie down. Hanna was planning to get on top, but given that he has been doing an amazing job so far, she decides to let him stay in control for now.

Caleb kneels next to her on the mattress and pulls her black panties down, caressing her skin with his fingertips all the way down her legs until he takes them off. Looking back up at the part of her body that he just uncovered, he can't help taking his hand there and caress her gently. She feels just as soft as she did nights ago, and she looks way too good.

Hanna "Mmm…" she moans softly, her eyes are closed again.

Those sounds from her encourage him to go on, and he keeps caressing her, spreading her wetness all around her most sensitive part. He would definitely eat her out, he thinks right away, but she is right, they have already had enough foreplay including all those previous nights.

Hanna "Babe, please… come on, come here" she really wants him.

Caleb takes his boxers off as fast as he can and gets on top of her. Holding himself up by placing his arms on the mattress at each side of her.

Hanna spreads her legs for him, so he lowers his lower half, but he doesn't get in just yet. He reaches out to the bedside table and after pulling the drawer open, he grabs a condom.

Holding his weight up with only one arm, he tries to rip it open with his other hand and his mouth, and he is too focused on his task to notice the frown and the confusion on Hanna's face. But when he finally gets to open the wrapper and looks at her, he notices it.

Caleb "You okay?" he asks her.

Hanna's frown disappears and she nods.

Caleb "What's wrong?"

Hanna shakes her head. "Nothing" she gives him a slight smile.

Caleb smiles back. "Come on" he says and nuzzles his nose on her neck. "We are right about to make love and you lie to me?" he says against her skin and places some soft kisses there before raising his head back up to look at her again.

Hanna smiles, this time is a wide smile and she also takes her hands to his nape and pulls him closer to her to kiss his lips.

Hanna "Everything is good" she assures him after the brief kiss. "It's just that I was wondering why you would use a condom when you know that I am on birth control" she tells him, since she has taken the birth control pill several times in front of him, she always takes it in the evening and they have shared a lot of evenings together. "But anyway, it's fine. Use it"

Caleb smiles and throws the condom away right then.

Hanna "It's okay, use it if you feel safer… really, I'm okay with-"

Caleb cuts her off. "Han, I wasn't thinking, I just took it because it's a habit of mine. But of course I'm not using a condom with you" he pecks her lips.

It's the truth, he has never had sex with anyone without using a condom. It didn't matter if it was a girl he knew well or a one-night stand, he always used condoms. And it is also true that he wasn't planning to use one with Hanna. Hanna is the only one he has gotten to trust enough not to do so.

Caleb "I want to feel you fully" he whispers in her ear.

Hanna wraps both her arms around his neck, holding him closer to her. "I want it too" she whispers back on his lips and opens her mouth to kiss him again. Caleb kisses her back, it's a very intimate kiss, perfect for the moment. He lowers one of his arms and wraps it around one of her legs, placing his palm on her inner thigh. And Hanna moves her hands to his hips. He positions himself at her entrance, and she moans into the kiss at feeling him there, only one move from getting in.

Caleb pulls away from her mouth and looks into her eyes. No more words are needed, both of them have already waited enough for this, and it's not only a physical need, it's also a need to get closer to one another, to be able to show each other their feelings in a more intimate way.

Still making eye contact, he finally makes that one move needed to connect their bodies. A gasp comes out from his mouth the second he finds out how tight she feels around him. Hanna lets out another moan as well and she breaks the eye contact when she shuts her eyes and turns her face to the side. Caleb goes all the way in being more careful and once he is fully inside, he stays still and takes the opportunity to kiss her neck as he gives her a moment to adjust. Then, still kissing her, he starts moving in and out, still being gentle.

Hanna's nails dig into his hips. He feels so damn good. She can't help the sounds that escape from her mouth, although she still manages to keep them soft. Her lips slightly parted, her eyes still shut.

Caleb raises from her neck in order to kiss her mouth again, but when he sees the expression on her face, he can't help staring at her as he speeds a bit his thrusting. It drives him crazy how good it feels without the barrier of a condom, she is so soft, so warm, so perfect. He presses his face against hers and groans against her cheek.

Hanna moves her face to the side right away and reconnects their lips in a very messy wet kiss. She also moves her hands from her hips to his ass and pushes him harder against her, asking him for more deepness.

Caleb doesn't only thrust into her deeper, he also does it faster. Hanna arches her back off the mattress, creating more friction and causing Caleb to hit her right where she needs it.

Hanna "Mmm… babe… right there" she manages to say and moves her mouth away from his because she feels like she could bite his lip very hard any moment if she stays there.

Her words only make Caleb want to please her more than ever and wrapping his arm around her waist now, he makes sure to keep banging into the right spot.

In no time, he has her moaning his name into his ear as she reaches her climax, and feeling her tightening around him takes him to the same level of pleasure as her. Hanna's grip around his neck loosens as she comes undone resting her back properly on the mattress again. Caleb thrusts a little longer as he spills into her, which feels amazing to him. He's leaving a trail of what just happened between them, inside of her, and that doesn't only blow his mind, but also makes him feel closer to her, since she's the only one he has done it to.

He barely manages to hold his weight up long enough to slide out of her and then collapses on the mattress next to her.

Hanna is still catching her breath. She stares at him and can't help smiling. He's so fucking cute, his breathing is a mess, but his face looks so relaxed with his eyes closed. She reaches out and takes his hand, intertwining their fingers. And although he doesn't move just yet, he squeezes their joined hands, making Hanna smile again. She gets closer to him and places her free hand on his face, and caressing his cheek with her thumb, she leans over him and pecks his lips.

Caleb "Come here" he tells her when she pulls away from his lips.

He lets go of her hand to wrap both his arms around her and he pulls her to his chest. Hanna buries her face against his neck, loving being held so tight in his arms.

They stay like that for minutes, cuddling, caressing each other, sharing soft kisses, enjoying the peaceful moment after the amazing sex they just had. And more important, feeling closer to each other than ever.

Hanna "Can I wear your shirt?" she asks after pulling away from a very romantic kiss.

Caleb "Of course you can" he tells her as he caresses her hair. "But not just yet"

Hanna smiles. "Why?"

Caleb "Because I'm planning to make love to you again, so you won't need it for now… I just need a moment to recover right now…"

Hanna chuckles. "Okay, then… Let's get under the sheets at least" she says while sitting up.

Caleb only smiles and sits up as well.

After they get into the bed, lying next to him, Hanna rests her head back on Caleb's chest.

Hanna "Did you miss me?" she asks while taking his hand.

Caleb "Like hell" he says with no doubts. "You?"

Hanna "Very much"

Caleb smiles. "So… we can say that we are officially together now?"

Hanna "Uh huh… well, if you didn't change your mind about what you asked me the other day at the lake house before I left, we can say that I've been your girlfriend for hours now"

Caleb "Of course I didn't change my mind" he squeezes her against him. "My girlfriend… sounds so fucking good"

Hanna smiles and looks up at him. "I still don't get why you told me that you sucked at love and relationships because you have been doing it way better than me here so far… it's like you know exactly what to say, what to do…"

Caleb smiles too. "I guess it's because everything feels natural with you… it simply flows… I don't know…"

Hanna smiles again and raises her head from his chest to start kissing him again. And they kiss for a while, slowly, gently, but still intensely.

But at some point, Hanna decides that it's time for her to show him how much she cares for him as well, so she gets fully on top of him, resting her body on his, as she makes the kiss rougher. Then, folding her legs up at each side of him to straddle him, she reaches down and grabs his length.

Hanna "It's my turn now" she tells him as she starts to stroke him in order to make him hard again.

It only takes him a few seconds to be ready again, since having Hanna on top of him, naked, and being so sexy, really turns him on.

Hanna's hands move to his shoulders to keep her steady and in just one second, Caleb groans against her lips, feeling her around him again. Hanna bites her bottom lip, he definitely fits perfectly in her.

/

Later.

Hanna gets back in Caleb's bedroom after having used the bathroom. She is obviously wearing his shirt.

Hanna "How did you do it?"

Caleb "How did I do what?"

Hanna "Get Chocolate sleeping on that dog bed… and there in the hallway"

Caleb smiles. "I did nothing, I just put his bed there, it's his old bed from Allentown. He knows that he has to sleep there. You spoil him, you let him do whatever he wants, and he knows it too, that's why he jumps on your bed instead of using his"

Hanna rolls her eyes although she knows he is right.

She's about to get back in the bed with him, but she spots something on the floor and picks it up.

Hanna "You should be more careful, Chocolate could swallow this easily" she says and places on the bedside table the unused condom that Caleb threw to the floor earlier.

Caleb "Yeah, sorry. I'll throw it away later" he tells her as she climbs into the bed next to him.

She lies down on her side, facing him.

Caleb "You know what? I had never done it without using a condom before" he tells her as he reaches for a strand of her hair and places it behind her ear.

Hanna "Really?" she asks, a bit surprised and a bit intrigued.

Caleb "Really"

Hanna "And how's that?"

Caleb shrugs. "Well, most of the girls I've been with, were just one-night stands, or girls who I only hooked up with every so often, so leaving aside the STDs, I just didn't want to bring another unwanted child like I was to this world… but anyway, even when it was a girl I knew well, a girl I dated, or if they assured me that they were on birth control, using a condom was the only way to make sure everything would be fine"

Hanna "You dated many girls?"

Caleb "No… just a couple… and it never lasted too long. I guess I was just forcing myself to settle down, to have a normal life, since my first formal relationship was after getting my first real job and I had a decent place to live… and the second one was in London… they were kind girls, but when something is forced, it doesn't last too long"

Hanna "And how are you sure that you are not doing it again? Just forcing yourself to settle down? I mean, you moved to a new city, you have a new house, new friends… Maybe you-"

Caleb cuts her off. "Han" he smiles at her. "I told you before, everything feels natural with you… I don't text you because I feel like I have to, I do it because I love the amazing feeling when you text back and your name shows on my screen. When I call you, it's because I really want to know about you, to hear your voice… and when I ask you to get together, it's because I really want to see you, because having you around feels amazing… everything with you feels amazing, every kiss, every touch… making love"

Hanna smiles widely. "If I weren't this much tired after the long day I just had, I would jump on you again to go for the third round right away"

Caleb grins. "Maybe in the morning?" he asks while wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Hanna nods. "Sure" she says with her eyes already shut before enclosing her lips around his.

And they kiss again, a slow full of feelings kiss. And Caleb ends that kiss a couple of minutes later just to hug her against his chest.

Caleb "And you know what else we are doing tomorrow?"

Hanna "What?" she asks, her eyes closed, her cheek smashed against his chest.

Caleb "We are going out on a date… I still owe you a first date" he says amused.

Hanna "It doesn't speak so well of me… having sex before the first date" she jokes.

Caleb laughs at her joke. "Well, I'm pretty sure we already know one another way better than any couple would get to know each other on a first date… and we surely have waited long enough"

Hanna only smiles.

Caleb "So… where should I take you?"

Hanna "Mmm… how about staying in instead of going out? I would like a more intimate date… I just wanna be with you"

Caleb "Sounds just perfect, babe" he tells her while caressing her hair.

Hanna "But you have to cook dinner for me"

Caleb smiles. "Okay…"

Hanna "And then we can watch a movie, cuddling… and there could be some kisses too…" she says and yawns.

Caleb "Mmm… can't wait" he tells her while adjusting the sheets around her properly. "Good night, beautiful"

Hanna "Night, baby"

* * *

Hey guys! Well, I know this chapter is something you have been waiting for a long time and I hope you liked it!

I would say that this chapter is the calm before the storm since something is coming in the next one haha. Thanks for your kind reviews in the previous chapter! :)

Till next week!


	23. Chapter 23

Morning after.

Hanna "Mmm… Caleb, Caleb" she moans against the skin of his shoulder. Electricity shooting through her body as she reaches her highest point of pleasure.

Caleb rests his forehead on the pillow, next to her head, as he makes his last movements while finally getting off as well.

He only stops and slides out of her once he doesn't hear Hanna's moans anymore, which means that she's finished too. Then he lies down on the mattress, pulling her onto him with his arms still wrapped around her.

What a great way to start her day, Hanna thinks as she relaxes in Caleb's embrace.

Hanna "Can you turn the air conditioner on, please? I'm too hot" she asks him a few seconds later, since it's another hot summer morning in Rosewood.

Caleb laughs. "Sure you are hot… hot like hell… but I don't think the air conditioner will help" he jokes while grabbing the remote of the air from the bedside table and then he turns it on.

Hanna only bites her bottom lip while smiling amused.

Caleb "What would you like for breakfast?"

Hanna "I'm not staying for breakfast, babe. I gotta go"

Caleb "Why?"

Hanna "Because I need to take a shower and I didn't bring any clean clothes, I stopped by at my place before coming here and left my suitcase there… besides, I should go see my mom as well. She has a convention in London and she's leaving this evening. I want to go have lunch with her"

Caleb "Okay, but stay till noon at least. You can take a shower here and wear the same clothes as yesterday"

Hanna "I'm not wearing those again till noon" she says, staring at her panties that are on the floor in the exact spot where Caleb threw them before.

Caleb "You can borrow one of my boxers… I'm sure you would look sexy as fuck in them" he lowers one of his hands and squeezes her ass cheek.

Hanna smiles amused. "Fine. I'll stay till noon then" she raises her head from his chest and kisses him.

/

Midday.

Hanna "Okay, I'll see you later then" she tells Caleb.

Caleb nods and walks her to the front door of his house.

Once they get to the door, Hanna turns around and takes his face in her hands.

Hanna "Bye, baby" she kisses him.

Caleb "Bye, babe" he answers after the kiss and opens the door for her.

Hanna "Let's go, Chocolate" she says and the dog follows her outside.

Not ready to let her go just yet, Caleb goes out of the house as well and pulls her into a hug.

Hanna chuckles and hugs him back. "I'll see you later" she pecks his lips and Caleb finally lets go of her.

Caleb watches her get into her car and then drive away before closing the door.

/

Hanna pulls into the driveway of her house and stops the car. After getting out, she goes open the rear door for Chocolate and then they get into the house together.

Some minutes later, a black car parks near her house, across the street. There are two men inside. After stopping the car, the driver takes his phone to his ear.

Man 1 "We just got to the address you sent me" he says after a few seconds.

George "Perfect. You are gonna have to wait there until you see her. I'm having trouble to track the GPS location of her phone. Did you receive the picture too?"

Man 1"Yeah, I did! what a hottie!"

George "Hey! Just stick to the plan, okay? I need you to get me the dog and she has to see that you are stealing it, but don't-"

Man 1 cuts George off. "Yeah, I know, I know. Only the dog, she sees the stealing but I can't touch her"

George "Exactly. And if things get complicated with the dog-"

Man 1 interrupts him again. "I know, I use the sedative"

George "Yes, but only after getting him in the car, otherwise it will be too much complicated to carry him, he weighs more than 150 pounds… and please, be careful about how much sedative you use, I need the dog alive… no more than half syringe"

Man 1 "Okay, got it"

George "Don't touch the girl. If something goes wrong, I can get you two back in jail just as easily as I got you out"

Man 1 "I know, dude. We are not fucking stupid! We are just taking a dog from a girl, it's not like we are robbing a bank or shit"

George "Okay. Keep me updated. Don't fuck this up" he says and ends the call.

/

Only a couple of minutes later, Hanna gets out of the house again.

Man 2 "Look! There she is!"

Man 1 "Fuck, she's even hotter in person, what a piece of meat"

Man 2 "Is George fucking her or something?" he asks as both of them watch Hanna carefully.

Man 1 "Not him… I think he said she was with one of his friends... I don't know and I don't give a shit"

Man 2 "She must be important, George didn't stop bitching about her but still wants her to be safe"

Hanna gets in her car.

Man 2 "She's leaving"

Man 1 "Yeah, but the dog is not with her… we have to wait. George said that she takes the dog out on a walk at least once a day. If the bitch doesn't take it out today, we are gonna have to come back tomorrow"

/

Afternoon.

Hanna gets back home after having lunch with Ashley at the Radley. She gets out of the car, her phone on her ear.

Caleb "Han" he answers the call after a couple of rings.

Hanna "Babe… what are you up to?"

Caleb "I'm waiting for the contractor and the garden designer, we are meeting up to talk about my backyard. The project is ready, we only have to discuss a few details"

Hanna "Oh, okay. That's great!" she says as she gets into the house.

Caleb "Yeah, if everything goes well, they are starting in a couple of days… anyway, why do you ask? Do you need anything?"

Hanna "No… I just got back home, I'm taking Chocolate to the park and I just thought I would invite you to come with us, but I guess I'll see you later"

Caleb "Oh… okay… I'm sorry, I-"

Hanna chuckles. "Hey! It's fine. I'll see you later, we still have our date. Don't forget you have to cook me something delicious for dinner"

Caleb "Yeah, I already went to the store" he smiles.

Hanna "What time should I come over?"

Caleb "Why do you ask? You will be late anyway"

Hanna chuckles. "Hey!"

Caleb smiles amused. "Just come over when you are ready, it's fine"

Hanna "Okay… I'll be there early… I might help you cook"

Caleb "Sure you will" he rolls his eyes. "Just like you helped me paint my house"

Hanna laughs. "Okay, then… see you later, babe. I gotta take Chocolate out"

Caleb "Okay… see you, Han"

Hanna "Bye" she says and ends the call.

Then, she looks down at Chocolate who is already standing before her, wagging his tail.

Hanna "Wanna go for a walk, buddy?" she asks him sweetly as she takes the leash.

A few minutes later, Hanna gets out of the house with Chocolate. She makes her way to the sidewalk and starts walking toward the corner to turn to the left after, as she always does when she goes to the nearest park to her place.

But before she can make it to the corner, she feels a strong pulling from Chocolate's leash and when she turns to look at him, she sees a man covering the dog's entire head with a bag.

Hanna "What are you doing?" is the first thing that comes out from her mouth, not getting what she's seeing.

A second later she reacts and pulls from the leash, trying to get Chocolate out of the man's reach. But it's too late, because the man has already his arms wrapped around the dog and is pulling from him too. So Hanna, still holding the leash in her hands, climbs on the man's back, trying to stop him somehow.

Hanna "Let go of him!" she says while pulling from the man's neck with both her arms, fighting with all the strength inside of her not to let that guy take her dog away from her. "Help, help!" she starts to yell as well.

At that point, the other man that was waiting in the car in order to take off as soon as his accomplice got the dog, gets out of the vehicle with a syringe in his hand and rushes over Hanna. He sticks the syringe into Hanna's back and pushes all the sedative substance into her body.

Only a couple of seconds later, Hanna's body loses all its strength and she collapses on the sidewalk. Her head makes a loud sound when it hits the concrete.

Man 1 "Fuck, fuck, fuck! What the fuck did you just do?!"

Man 2 "She was screaming like a bitch! I had to shut her mouth! Do you wanna get caught?"

Man 1 "Shit! Let's get the hell out of here! Now!"

Man 2 "We can't leave her here, George is gonna kill us"

Man 1 "Let's get her in the car" he says while picking Hanna up, pulling from her arms.

Chocolate has received a few hits during all the tugging and is a bit confused with the bag still covering his head, so the 'Man 2' easily gets him in the car and then helps the other man to get Hanna in as well.

/

Man 1 "Fuck! We fucked it up! You fucking used all the sedative on her! It was supposed to be for the dog, and only the half of it! That chick weights much less than the dog, it's too fucking much for her!" he says while driving away, and looks at Hanna in the rearview mirror. She is lying on the backseat, unconscious.

Man 2 "She was fucking fighting you back and yelling like a bitch! What was I supposed to do?"

Man 1 "We can't let George find out about this!"

Man 2 "And what are we doing? You think she will wake up soon?"

Man 1 "Are you fucking kidding me? She could die! You practically injected her all the fucking sedative"

Man 2 "Fuck, fuck, fuck! I've never killed anyone before! I'm a fucking thief, not a murderer!... Maybe she wakes up… she's still breathing"

Man 1 "If she is lucky enough to wake up, she could even not know who the shit she is after the blow to her head that she had when she fell on the sidewalk. George will have us by the balls if he finds out"

Man 2 "What are we doing? We should take her to the hospital, we don't have to go inside, we can just leave her there and-"

Man 1 "Did you fucking lose your mind? Don't be such a pussy. We are getting rid of her and then we are taking that stupid dog to George as if nothing had happened"

They drive their way to the exit of Rosewood, and only a few miles away, they pull off the road and being careful enough not to be seen by anyone, they get Hanna out of the car and take her some feet into the woods where they just throw her on the ground and then leave.

/

Some hours later. Evening.

Already showered, wearing his best cologne and dressed up with a black shirt and black jeans, Caleb is making dinner.

After putting the food into the oven, he decides to text Hanna. He thought she would arrive earlier because even though he told her to come over whenever she was ready, she promised to be there early and maybe help him cook. But given that she hasn't gotten there yet and that the food will be ready in around half an hour, he decides to rush her a little.

Caleb "Babe, are you coming? Dinner will be ready soon" he sends the text and goes to the living room.

He gets comfortable on the couch and turns the TV on.

Twenty minutes later he checks his phone for the fifth time more or less, but there is no answer from Hanna yet. Recalling the conversation that they had that morning, he remembers that Hanna told him that her mom would flight to London in the evening.

Caleb "Oh, I just remembered that your mom was leaving today. Take your time, babe" he sends her another text.

Then he stands up from the couch and goes turn off the oven. He can finish cooking dinner once Hanna gets there.

But an hour and a half later, Hanna hasn't showed up yet and she hasn't texted back either. So Caleb decides to give her a call this time and when he gets no answer from her, his concern grows. He tries calling again and once more he gets to the voicemail.

Not knowing what else to do, he decides to reach out to one of her friends and check if they have heard from her in the last hours. Spencer is his first option, but he dismisses it, since he doesn't want to worry a pregnant woman for no reason, Hanna could just be doing her make-up in her bedroom and have left her phone downstairs or something. So he calls Emily.

Emily "Caleb?"

Caleb "Hey, Em… how are you?"

Emily "I'm very well… what about you? Do you need something?" she asks right away.

Caleb "Yeah, I'm trying to contact Hanna, but she's not answering her phone. Have you heard from her?"

Emily "Not since this afternoon. I didn't see her, but we were chatting with the guys on our group chat. She said that she had had lunch with Ashley and she also mentioned that you two had a date later, but then she didn't text anymore, I thought she was with you"

Caleb "She was supposed to come over a while ago, but she hasn't showed up yet and I am getting worried because she's not answering her phone"

Emily "Okay, let me call her on her home phone. Maybe she lost her phone or something. I'll call you right back"

Caleb "Okay, thank you, Em"

He ends the call and waits for Emily to call him back. Only a few minutes pass by until she does, but they seem like hours to Caleb.

Emily "Hey, I called her like three times, but she's not answering her home phone either…"

Caleb "Fuck" he only says.

Emily "You think we should worry? She's very unpunctual and it could be possible that she doesn't answer her phone because she is kind of scatterbrained, but it's weird that she is not answering her home phone and she was really excited about your date, she should be there already"

Caleb "I don't know. I'll go to her place. I have to go check"

Emily "Okay, I'm going too. I'll meet you there"

Caleb "Okay, thanks" he ends the call and grabs his car keys.

/

Hanna wakes up. Or well, that is just a way of saying it, because although she regains consciousness, she's still very confused. The back of her head hurts a lot and she feels really cold, like freezing. And when she attempts to open her eyes, she can't, her eyelids don't move. But she's so confused that she doesn't know if she did open her eyes and can't see anything because it's too dark or if indeed, her eyes remain closed. Then, she tries to raise one of her arms, but once again, she can't move. She tries again, but none of her limbs seem to respond. Anyone in her place, would freak out right away, but her headache is too strong and her tiredness too, plus her state of confusion doesn't even allow her to think clear enough to worry about the fact that she has no control of her own body. She passes out again in only a few seconds.

/

Caleb gets to Hanna's house before Emily, since he lives closer to her than she does.

As soon as he gets out of his car and takes a look around, he sees that the lights of her house are off, which worries him much more. But at least, Hanna's car is there, so he goes ring the doorbell.

Just as he assumed, he gets no answer.

Emily finally arrives and joins him.

Emily "So?"

Caleb "She's not here… there's no one in the house" he tells her, really worried.

Emily "What about Chocolate? I can always hear him barking from the inside when I ring the doorbell" she approaches the door and knocks on it, but there's no barking.

Caleb "Fuck! You are right! Chocolate isn't there either!" he runs his hands through his hair, despairing. "What time did you receive her last text?"

Emily "Let me check" she goes through her phone and a few seconds later she looks up at Caleb who is checking his phone as well. "2:03 pm" she tells him.

Caleb looks up at her. "She called me today, 2:17 pm and she was taking Chocolate for a walk, to the park… if Chocolate isn't here but her car is, it means that she never came back" his voice gets cracking.

Emily "Oh my god!" she says, very worried as well.

Caleb "We should go to the police"

Emily nods.

Caleb starts walking back to his car.

Emily "Can I come with you? I'm too nervous to drive"

Caleb "Sure"

/

Caleb and Emily get to the police station.

They are expecting to be heard by the officers, they are expecting for them to make a report of a missing person and start looking for Hanna right away, but as soon as they step into the place, they see that the whole police station seems agitated, people going here and there, making calls, like if they were preparing for something, and they only get the woman at the entrance to pay attention to them. But she doesn't even give them a satisfactory answer, after taking down Hanna's personal information, she dismisses them by saying that they can't do anything when it comes to an adult woman that has only been missing for a few hours and that as far as she knows, she could have left voluntarily.

Caleb "Un-freaking-believable! I'm telling you that there's a missing person and you are not doing anything about it?" He raises his voice, feeling really frustrated.

Another male police officer approaches them. "Hey, if you girlfriend stood you up, it's not our problem. We are in the middle of something here, so get the fuck out of here if you don't want to spend the night in a cell"

Caleb is about to answer back, but Emily pulls from his arm.

Emily "Let's go, Caleb… we need to find Han, and we don't want to make things worse. Maybe Toby can help us. I'm calling him"

Caleb nods. He knows he won't get anything by yelling at that stupid police officer, and Toby, being a police officer himself, could get a better answer from them.

/

Once they are back in Caleb's car, Emily calls Toby and let him know about everything that is going on. After a few minutes, she ends the call and looks at Caleb.

Emily "He's gonna make some calls and see if he can get some help from the police station himself"

Caleb nods and sighs.

Emily "We will find her" she tries to comfort him somehow.

Caleb "Not if we stay here… let's go take a look to the park"

Emily nods. "Yeah, it's pretty late, but maybe someone saw something"

/

An hour and a bit later, Emily and Caleb are back at his house after having looked for Hanna at the park, and then again at her house, where they also looked carefully for any clue that could help them know what happened to her. But they got nothing and Caleb is growing even more impatient and worried as the time passes by and he doesn't learn anything about Hanna.

Emily "What should we do next?" she asks with glassy eyes as she sits down on Caleb's couch.

Caleb "I'll try tracking her phone" he says while taking his laptop.

Emily "Why didn't you do that in the first place?"

Caleb sighs. "Because Hanna turned off her GPS location some days ago, so this could take me a few hours… I was hoping to find her before I had to do this…"

Emily "Why would she do that?"

Caleb "Jordan tracked her phone once… it was only to send her some gifts, but still… it wasn't right and she didn't feel comfortable with it"

Emily "Oh…" she purses her lips. "Can I help you somehow?" she asks next.

Caleb shakes his head no. "Just talk to Alison and Aria, maybe they know something that we don't"

Emily "Okay"

/

Emily gets back in the living room a few minutes later.

Emily "Ali and Aria know nothing, but they are coming over to help" she tells Caleb while placing a cup of coffee for him next to his laptop on the coffee table. "And so is Toby, he just called me"

Caleb "Did he get some help from the police?"

Emily "No… he said that they are in the middle of some important police intervention and that his coworkers couldn't help us even if they wanted, because of their superiors… police stuff"

Caleb "Shitty police stuff" he corrects her and grabs his cup to take a sip of coffee. "Hanna better come back home safe and sound or I'll burn that police station down"

Emily "We will bring her home safe and sound ourselves. We have to"

/

Later.

All the guys are at Caleb's. Except for Spencer who knows nothing because she was asleep when Emily called Toby and he sneaked out of the house, avoiding telling her about Hanna being missing not to worry her.

It's already past 1 am, Caleb has been all the time in front of his laptop trying to track Hanna's phone. The cup of coffee that Emily has poured for him got cold next to him since his frustration and nervousness have closed up his throat not letting him have one more sip.

Caleb "Fuck, fuck, fuck! I can't do this!" he shouts and stands up from the couch while running his hands through his hair in frustration.

Emily approaches him. "Hey! It's okay, just breathe and calm down… you said this could take a few hours, keep trying" she says, trying to reassure him and places her hand on his shoulder. "We have no other way to look for her right now, please"

Caleb nods and sits back down on the couch. "It's just that… it seems like her phone has a very poor signal, I lose it for moments… I run all these programs but they don't reach a good connection with her device. Besides, she could be anywhere, and maybe she doesn't even have her phone with her… I feel like I am wasting time sitting here"

Ezra "Yeah, you are right, but you keep trying there. That's still the best option we have right now. I'm going for a drive through the town, maybe I see something"

Aria "I'm coming with you… let's drive around the way between her house and the park"

Toby "Guys, if you see people in the streets, ask them If they saw something, show them pictures of Hanna and the dog"

Aria "Okay" she says before following Ezra outside and closes the door.

Toby turns his gaze toward Emily now. "You Em, give Jordan a call, maybe he knows something"

Emily looks at Caleb right away.

Caleb "It's okay, call him" he says softly, still focused on his laptop.

Emily "I don't think Hanna talked to him. They broke up yesterday"

Toby "Still, we have nothing to lose, call him. We need to exhaust all possible options"

Alison "Don't you think it's pretty weird that right the day after breaking up with him, she goes missing?"

Emily "The guy can be a shitty boyfriend, but I am sure he's not a kidnaper" she says while taking her phone to her ear and goes to the kitchen.

Alison goes with her.

Toby "You said her phone has low signal, but it still has some… you think you could find the telephone antenna that her phone is getting that signal from? That's what the guys do at the police station when they need to delimit someone's position in a certain period of time, like to check alibis and stuff, but they usually have to ask the cell phone carrier for the phone records and it takes some time and-"

Caleb cuts him off. "Yeah, I think I could do that… we wouldn't know the exact location, but we still could determine an area where to look for her and it will be definitely way better than nothing" he says while typing on the laptop.

Emily and Alison come back.

Emily "Jordan didn't answer his phone. But I left him a message, I told him that Hanna went missing and we think that something happened to her when she took Chocolate to the park. I asked him to call me back if he knows something, or if he talked to her after around 2:15 this afternoon"

Toby "Perfect"

Alison "Can I help somehow? I feel useless"

Toby "You can go drive around like Ezra and Aria… show people Hanna's picture"

Emily "Yeah, let's go do that… I'm going crazy in here"

/

Another half hour passes by.

Caleb "I've got it! I just got to the freaking antenna!" he says with a very slight smile on his face, but that little smile fades away in seconds.

Toby "What's wrong?" he asks him at seeing the worry on his face.

Caleb "This is not in the town… this is over the road, leaving Rosewood. This can't be good"

Toby "Hey, we can't jump to conclusions just yet! Hold yourself together, Hanna needs us. And now we know where to look for her at least"

Caleb nods. "Let's go" he says while standing up from the couch, carrying his laptop in his hands. "We are going in your car, I can keep trying to find a more exact location while you drive"

Toby "Don't you need a Wi-Fi connection or something?"

Caleb "I've got my own hotspot"

Toby "Okay. I'll call the guys, we need as much help as we can"

Caleb "Tell them to go 4.5 miles away from Rosewood exit. There's where we should start searching"

They leave Caleb's house in Toby's car, speeding up to get to that place as soon as possible. Caleb doing his best not to break down and forcing himself to focus on finding Hanna.

* * *

Hi guys! Hope you are doing well.

Okay, I warned you that something was coming! Some of you thought that Chocolate or Caleb, or maybe both, were going to end up hurt or something... but it was Hanna. That's what the whole GPS thing was about, I didn't just put it in the previous chapters for nothing, it was to make things more complicated for Caleb. Anyway, I hope you find this chapter interesting :)

Byeee!


	24. Chapter 24

Hanna wakes up again. The cold that she feels is what makes her wake up. She is still not fully conscious because of the sedative substance running through her veins. Her eyes remain closed. When she tries to move her arms to wrap them around her own body to warm herself up, her arms don't respond. As much as she tries, they won't move. But unlike before, she gets scared this time. Maybe because now, it's been a few more hours since she was thrown there in the woods and very slowly, she's starting to recover her consciousness, and along with it, comes the fear.

So now, she doesn't only feel cold, but also scared, her body hurts, her head hurts much more and her confusion still doesn't let her think clearly.

/

The guys get together over the road a few miles from Rosewood's exit just as Toby told them.

They split up in order to make a better search and cover a greater part of the area that Caleb indicated them, and then they go look for Hanna.

Except for Caleb. He stays in Toby's car and keeps working on his laptop for a while longer, trying to find a more exact location to look for Hanna. But some minutes later, his anxiety and desperation win and he abandons his task to go look for Hanna as well.

He starts walking into the woods, but he only goes a few feet into them. Then, he starts walking parallel to the road, assuming that whether Hanna got there by herself or someone took her there, she couldn't be too far away from the road. Still trying to hold himself together, to stay calm, he pushes away any bad thought that could threaten his concentration and walks for several minutes. At some point, he takes his phone and starts calling her again. If her cell phone, and hopefully Hanna, are near to him, or to any of the guys, that could help to get there more easily.

He can't believe what his ears hear as soon as he starts the call. He doesn't know if what he is hearing is real or if it's just his desperate mind playing tricks on him. Anyway, he starts to run right away, in the direction from where he thinks that Hanna's phone is ringing.

He gets there in no time.

As soon as his eyes spot Hanna lying on the ground, he rushes over there.

Caleb "Oh my god! Hanna!" he yells while kneeling down next to her. His heart is racing and a shiver runs through his body when he takes her face in his hands and his palms come in touch with her very cold cheeks.

Hanna feels his touch. The warm of his hands feels really good on her freezing cheeks. But she's too confused to know what's going on, and her eyes are still closed.

Caleb "Han, baby" he talks to her. "Hey, Han" he calls her again, seeking for a reaction from her.

And she recognizes his voice now, despite she is barely conscious, she hears him. She doesn't understand the situation, since her state of confusion doesn't even allow her to wonder what's going on, or even understand his words, what he is saying. But at least, hearing his voice, the sound alone, lowers her fear.

He wraps his arms around her and when he lifts her torso up from the ground, her head tilts back, like hanging from her body, and her arms too, they fall at each side of her. Her body looks very loose, and seeing that, makes Caleb even more desperate. Her body feels so heavy in his arms… and she is so cold… she looks dead.

Caleb "Guys! Please! Someone come!" he yells while placing her back on the ground.

Hanna wants to scream now. She wants to tell him not to let go of her, but her body still doesn't respond and the fear invades her once again.

His hands are shaky but still he manages to check her pulse and a huge relief comes to him when he finds it. Her pulse it's weak, but it's there.

Caleb "Baby, please… wake up" he tells her softly, despite the lump in his throat.

He wraps one of his arms around her and lifts her up from the ground once more, being more careful this time, placing his other hand on the back of her head, not to let it fall back again.

Hanna feels his touch again, his warm touch, and she calms a bit down.

Caleb presses her against his chest and holding her with one arm, he manages to take his phone with his free hand and he calls Toby.

Toby "Did you find a more exact location?" he asks right away.

Caleb "I found her"

Toby sighs in relief. "Is she okay?" he asks next.

Caleb "I don't know"

Toby "Is she hurt?"

Caleb "I don't know… she's unconscious, but she's alive"

Toby "Is there blood?"

Caleb takes a look around, he is so nervous that he doesn't even know and he needs to check.

Caleb "No, there's no blood"

Toby "Okay, that's good… where are you?"

Caleb "I don't know, I don't know how much I walked. Fuck!… just go back to your car and start driving in the opposite direction to Rosewood. I'll wait for you on the roadside"

Toby "Okay, fine" he says and ends the call.

Caleb looks down at Hanna and curses at himself for not grabbing a jacket, or even a blanket at least, in case she could need something to warm up. But still, it's a summer night and although it's colder than during the day, it doesn't make sense that she's that cold, she could be a bit cold, but not that much.

He picks her phone up from the ground, its screen is broken, but he doesn't pay much attention to it and pushes the phone into his pocket along with his own. Then, gathering all his strength, despite his still shaky body, he manages to take Hanna's legs as well and picks her up from the ground. Carrying her in his arms, holding her head between his shoulder and his neck, he starts walking back to the road.

With her face against his neck, Hanna can also smell his scent now and that calms her a little more. Not to mention the comforting sensation of his warm body holding hers.

Caleb barely makes it to the road. Carrying her unconscious is way harder than when she is awake. Once he gets there, he kneels down and rests her legs on the ground, but he keeps holding her in his arms as he waits for Toby. He looks down at Hanna again and notices that after carrying her in his arms, her dress has ended up all wrapped around her waist. He also can see that she's still wearing his boxers, the pair that she borrowed from him that morning after she took a shower at his place. He gets a lump in his throat at thinking how good they were just some hours ago and how things have changed so drastically from one moment to another. He grabs the edge of her dress and pulls it down, adjusting it properly.

Luckily for them, it only takes Toby a couple of minutes to get there. He stops the car on the side of the road right past them and gets out.

Toby "Fuck" he says while approaching them, seeing Hanna completely out. "Who would do this to her?"

Caleb "We gotta take her to the hospital as soon as possible. Help me get her in the car" he says while standing up from the ground, carrying Hanna.

Toby grabs her legs and helps Caleb take her to the car.

Toby "Wanna go in the back with her?"

Caleb "Yeah"

Toby "Okay, get in the car and I'll pass her to you"

Caleb "Careful with her head" he says as he passes her from his arms to Toby's.

Toby "She's too cold"

Caleb only nods.

After Caleb gets in the backseat, Toby gets Hanna in there as well and Caleb pulls her toward himself. He holds her again against his chest, her legs folded and rested on the seat.

Toby gets in the car as well and after turning the heating on for Hanna, he makes a U-turn and starts driving back to Rosewood.

Caleb starts to rub his hands against Hanna's back and arms to warm her up.

It's a very silent ride, Toby speeding the car to get to the hospital as fast as possible and Caleb focused on Hanna.

Caleb "You will be okay, baby… I'm here, I've got you" he whispers into her ear after a while, and starts to place soft kisses on her forehead, her cheeks, all over her face. "You are safe now" he adds between kissing her.

Hanna can feel his warm breath against her skin. Caleb's words make sense now. She starts to understand what he is saying. After struggling to open her eyes really hard, she manages to do so, very slowly.

He pulls back at feeling her eyelashes tickle his face.

Caleb "She opened her eyes!" he tells Toby right away when he sees her deep blue eyes, and a slight smile appears on his face.

Toby "That's good!"

Hanna's sight is blurry and the movement of the car doesn't help. But at least she gets to see Caleb's silhouette.

Caleb "Hey, Han" he tells her while placing his hand on her cheek, staring into her eyes. But his slight smile disappears when he doesn't get an answer from her and at seeing that her gaze seems lost. She seems absent. "Hanna, can you see me?"

Hanna tries to say something, but once again, her body doesn't respond to her brain's orders.

Caleb "Han, please… say something" he begs her, sounding desperate. "Can you hear me at least?"

Hanna starts to feel frustrated, now that she's more conscious, she wants to know what's going on, why she can't speak… she wants to tell Caleb that she can hear him. She also tries to touch him with her hand, but her body still doesn't respond. None of her attempts to communicate with him works.

Caleb caresses her cheek with his thumb while staring into her eyes. "I love you" he whispers to her.

Despite the cold of Hanna's body, her whole inside burns at hearing his words. Those three words from his mouth really reach deep down inside of her. Her eyes fill with tears. She wants to say it back and not being able to do so, only makes her feel more frustrated. She wants to scream more than before. But her body remains immobile. So immobile that Caleb is sure that she can't hear him or even see him. But he keeps talking to her anyway.

Caleb "You will be okay" he presses her harder against him, and gives her another long kiss on the forehead. "I love you" he repeats again while caressing her hair.

Hanna shuts her eyes again. She gives up and stops trying to communicate with Caleb. His caresses feel good and they help her relax. Soon, she is back asleep.

/

Hospital. Emergency room. It's around 5 am in the morning by now.

Hanna is lying on a stretcher where a couple of nurses just placed her, in a small room. Caleb is standing next to her as one of the nurses takes her blood pressure.

Another woman steps in there, accompanied by a younger man.

Doctor "Good morning, I'm Dr. Webber, and this is intern Williams" she introduces herself and her companion.

Caleb "Good morning" he only says.

Doctor Webber "So? What do we have here?" she asks the nurse while approaching Hanna.

Nurse "She's unconscious… her blood pressure is low, and so is her body temperature"

Doctor Webber "What happened to her?" she asks Caleb right away.

Caleb "She went missing this afternoon. I just found her in the woods, and she was like this… someone did this to her"

Doctor Webber "Are you a relative of her?"

Caleb "I'm her boyfriend"

Doctor Webber "What's your name?"

Caleb "Caleb Rivers"

The doctor places her hand on Hanna's face and opens one of her eyelids. "Okay, Caleb, does she have any disease?" she asks him as she checks Hanna's eye with a light.

Caleb "No"

Doctor Webber "Her pupils are normal, they respond to light" she tells the intern that is accompanying her, who is taking notes of everything, after checking her other eye as well. "Does she use drugs?" she asks Caleb now.

Caleb "No, she doesn't"

Doctor Webber "Take a blood sample" she tells the nurse. "And get something to warm her up, her body is obviously having trouble to regulate its temperature"

The nurse nods and proceeds to make the blood extraction.

Doctor Webber "Is there something else we should know?" she asks Caleb while scanning Hanna's body in general.

Caleb "She opened her eyes before, on the way here. But she didn't speak, she didn't even move and I don't think she recognized me"

The doctor only nods as she checks Hanna's arms, then she does the same with her legs and finally her head.

Doctor Webber "There's a bump on the back of her head and some bruises on her arms, write that down" she tells the intern.

Caleb "Is it serious? The bump on her head?" he asks the doctor.

Doctor Webber "We need to run some tests to know that for sure. It seems like she has received a strong blow to her head, but I couldn't assure that it is the cause of her unconscious state. The blood test results and some other tests will enlighten us"

Caleb only nods.

Doctor Webber "Is there any chance that she could be pregnant?"

Caleb "No"

Doctor Webber "Okay, we'll start with an MRI to check her brain" she tells the intern, then she looks back at Caleb. "We are taking her now for some tests. You can wait in the waiting room. We will let you know when we are finished"

Caleb "Is this serious? Will she be okay?"

Doctor Webber "We need to run these tests to know that"

Caleb only nods, but he is staring at Hanna now. The worry in his face is evident.

Doctor "Don't worry, we will take care of her"

After they take Hanna away, Caleb goes to the waiting room where Toby is sitting on one of the chairs. He sits down next to him.

Toby "How is she?"

Caleb sighs. "They didn't tell me anything… they took her to run some tests"

Toby nods.

Caleb "She called me this afternoon, she wanted me to go with her to the park… I should have gone with her and she would be fine. What an idiot!"

Toby "Hey! You can't blame yourself for this. We don't know what happened yet. And we wouldn't have found her if it wasn't for you"

Caleb "Still, things would be so different now if I had just stopped doing what I was doing and gone with her… shit!" he bits her bottom lip. He can't help thinking that he could be sleeping with her in his bed after having an amazing night together if none of that had happened. They would have had a nice date and she would be safe and sound.

Toby "Hey, she will be okay" he places his hand on his shoulder. "Stay strong. She will need you"

Caleb lets out a deep breath.

Toby "I talked to the guys, I told them that you found Hanna and that we are here now"

Caleb "Okay" he only answers.

Toby "Emily said they would keep looking for Chocolate, if Hanna wakes up and learns that he's still missing, she will go crazy"

Caleb nods.

Toby "They only asked me to keep them updated about her"

Caleb "I was so focused on Hanna that I didn't even think about it, but Emily is right. We still need to find Chocolate. We have to"

Toby "Yeah, they are starting to look for him where you found Hanna"

They fall silent and remain like that for almost an hour as they wait. At some point, Toby's phone starts to ring.

Toby sighs after checking the screen and then takes the call. "Babe… yeah, I had a call from work and had to leave. I'll be right back… yeah, everything is okay… Fine… Okay, see you"

Caleb "Spencer?" he asks him when he ends the call.

Toby "Yeah, she woke up and didn't find me there… she got worried"

Caleb "You should go with her… besides, you have to go work in a few hours, go have some rest"

Toby "Yeah, about that… I don't know how I will go to work after what just happened. I have to go to work to the same place that turned its back to my friend when she needed help"

Caleb wishes that he could say something to make him feel better, but he agrees on what he just said. The police are supposed to help people when they need it, but Rosewood police did nothing to help Hanna.

Toby "Anyway… I'll go talk to Spence. I didn't want to tell her about all this over the phone, but I'm telling her the truth..." he says while standing up from his chair. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll be back with Spence in a while, I'm sure she will want to be here for Hanna too"

Caleb "Okay. Take your time, don't worry"

Toby "I'll be right back"

Another long half an hour passes by until intern Williams, the young man that was with the doctor that took care of Hanna before, shows up over the waiting room.

Caleb stands up at seeing the man approaching him. "So?" he asks him right away.

Intern Williams "Follow me, please. She has been moved to a room… Dr. Webber is waiting for you there. She will talk to you"

Caleb "Okay"

His heart speeds up while following intern Williams to Hanna's room. He's too nervous. His mouth is dry.

Intern Williams "Here we are" he says while getting into one of the rooms.

Caleb swallows hard and steps into the room as well. His eyes go right to the bed where Hanna is lying. She is wearing hospital clothes now and an intravenous bag is connected to her arm. She looks exactly as she did before. She's still unconscious.

Dr. Webber "Mr. Rivers" she says to get his attention.

Caleb looks at her now. He was so focused on Hanna that he didn't even see the woman.

Dr. Webber "We have very good news" she starts saying.

Caleb gets some relief right away. He looks at her expectantly.

Dr. Webber "What worried us the most was that blow to her head, since she seemed unconscious, but after running some tests, not only we have confirmed that her brain is okay but also that she's not unconscious"

Caleb "What?" he asks confused. "So why is not she awake? Why isn't she moving?"

Dr. Webber "Please, come with me. There are some other things that I would like to discuss with you" she says while going out of the room.

Caleb follows her out.

Once they are back in the hallway, the doctor speaks again.

Dr. Webber "Her brain is not damaged. She surely had a strong blow to her head, but fortunately, her brain is fine"

Caleb nods.

Dr. Webber "On the other hand, the result of the blood test shows that there's a sedative substance in her bloodstream, and in a very high amount. That's what keeps her motionless"

Caleb "What? She's been drugged?"

Dr. Webber nods. "Yes, after scanning her body, I found a puncture in her back, surrounded by a bruise. Someone has injected her with that substance. We identified that substance, and the weirdest thing is that it's commonly used to sedate animals, it's not used in humans. On top of that, she had a high dose of it and it's having a weird reaction in her body. That's also why her body can't control its temperature properly"

Caleb runs one of his hands through his hair. "And what's going to happen to her now?"

Dr. Webber "We only can wait. We have to give her body some time to get rid of that substance. When used on animals, it only takes a few hours for them to go back to normal, but it will take longer in her, given that she had a high dose"

Caleb "Can't you give her something to speed up the process?"

Dr. Webber "No, her body has already too much to deal with right now. If we give her a shot of adrenaline, which causes right the opposite reaction than the sedative substance, we could cause her to have a heart attack. Waiting is the best option"

Caleb only nods.

Dr. Webber "Anyway, there's another thing…"

Caleb's heart skips a beat at hearing that.

Dr. Webber "Her mind is not as sedated as her body is"

Caleb "What do you mean?" he feels like he is in a rollercoaster of emotions and doesn't know how much longer he will be able to hold himself together.

Dr. Webber "There's brain activity in parts of her brain that wouldn't be active if she were fully unconscious, and she also responded to visual and auditory stimuli. Besides, you mentioned that she did open her eyes before. So, we think she's there, that's why I'm talking to you out here and not in front of her. I don't want her to hear all this"

Finally, a smile appears on Caleb's face. "Really? She is awake?"

Dr. Webber "For moments, yes. But we don't know how she is. She's still sedated, she surely feels tired and doesn't stay awake for long. She could also be in shock, she could be confused, we don't know what happened to her after all. She also could feel really scared, just imagine waking up but not being able to control your own body"

Caleb "Oh, god" he sighs. It seems like every good news comes with something negative.

Dr. Webber "Were you talking to her or something when she opened her eyes before?"

Caleb nods.

Dr. Webber "I'm asking you this because opening her eyes was a voluntary movement of hers, she did it because she wanted to. That's a little sign of progress from her. I think it would be really important for her if you stayed there and let her know that you are there, it could help a lot. She will respond faster with some incentive, a familiar voice… she will try to move, to speak, to communicate in some way, something that she won't do if she's in shock or if she feels too scared to do so, in case she has gone through some traumatic situation. She needs someone she trusts to be with her right now. Also, it could be another member of her family, one of her parents, any of her frie-"

Caleb cuts her off. "I'll do it" He wants to go back with Hanna as soon as possible now that he knows that she could be awake. He walks to the door and is about to go back into the room but the doctor stops him.

Dr. Webber "Please, I haven't finished yet"

Caleb looks back at her.

Dr. Webber "You should make a report to the police. No one goes around drugging girls without a purpose. I have examined Hanna's body and she seems okay. But although I didn't find any evidence of sexual assault, I can't skip the fact that she's wearing men's underwear"

Caleb "The underwear is mine" he says, feeling a bit embarrassed, but it also makes feel good knowing that the underwear is his, he doesn't have to worry about it at least. "And going to the police was the first I did when she went missing, but they didn't help. The guy that helped me bring her here is a police officer, but he was here because he's Hanna's friend. Anyway, I only want Hanna to wake up and get better right now, but I'll talk to her about it later and we will see what we are going to do next"

Dr. Webber nods. "Okay. Just don't talk to her about what happened for now. Let's see how she is emotionally when she wakes up first. Don't ask her any questions about it. The nurses will be checking on her every so often and I'll be here around. Just keep in mind that her recovering could take hours, so don't push her, talk to her and see if she responds, but she needs to rest as well"

Caleb "Okay" he says and goes back into Hanna's room.

He goes sit down on the chair next to her bed.

Caleb "Hi, baby" he pecks her lips. "I'm back here" he tells her while taking her hand. "And I'm not going anywhere until you get better" he intertwines their fingers and squeezes their joined hands. "I'm not letting go of your hand, okay? That's how you will know that I'm right here" he kisses her cheek, which is warmer now. "The doctor said that you will be fine, so don't worry if you can't move or speak right now. You will get better. We know that you are there, just chill and have some rest. I'm here" he tells her in order to calm her down, but what he doesn't know is that Hanna is asleep at the moment, since after making a huge effort to stay awake and focus to try to find his voice between all the people that were talking as they were running tests on her before, she has ended up exhausted and fell asleep even before being moved to that room.

* * *

Hi guys! First of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to update this time. I have had a really hectic December! Really. Anyway, I'm here now with a very dramatic chapter LOL. Well, now you know that Hanna will be fine and Caleb is there for her :) I have already started to work on the next chapter, so I don't think I will take too long to update next time! haha. Let me know what you think about this one! Hope you all start your 2018 the best way!


	25. Chapter 25

Morning. Washington DC.

Jordan is at his father's. He goes downstairs and heads to the dining room where he sits at the table that is already settled for breakfast. He is using his cell phone.

Eloise gets in the room.

Eloise "Good morning Mr. Hobart" she greets him as she starts pouring some coffee into his cup.

Jordan "Good morning" he greets her back, still focused on his phone.

Eloise is about to go bring him the rest of his breakfast, but she stops in her tracks at remembering something, so she turns back around to look at Jordan again. "Excuse me, when is Hanna arriving? Should I prepare a room for her or-?"

Jordan "Sorry, what?" he takes his eyes off of the screen of his phone and looks at the woman right away. "Hanna?" he asks surprised, wondering where the woman got the idea of Hanna going there from.

Eloise "Yes, I saw the… Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't ha-… I'm sorry, forget what I just said" she turns back around to leave the room but Jordan stops her.

Jordan "Wait" He stands up from his chair and approaches her.

Eloise looks at him again.

Jordan "Have you heard from Hanna? Did she talk to you?" he asks, since just a few minutes ago, he listened to Emily's voice message, the one that she left in his voicemail some hours ago, where she asked him about Hanna and also let him know that she was missing. But since he knew nothing about Hanna, he was planning on calling Emily later and maybe offer his help.

Eloise "No, she didn't. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked"

Jordan can tell that there's something that the woman is not telling him, so he keeps pushing. "Eloise, please. Did you talk to her? This is important. Just tell me the truth" he speaks to her seriously.

Eloise notices his concern, so she decides to tell him what she saw. "I didn't talk to Hanna. George took her dog here last night. He locked it up in the greenhouse… I thought he was just hiding it there because of your father, since he is not a fan of dogs and I assumed that Hanna was coming here as well. I'm sorry, I thought you knew about it. I guess I just ruined a surprise. Please, if Hanna shows up, pretend to be surprised" she jokes and smiles, but Jordan remains serious. "I'm sorry. This is none of my business. I apologize again" she adds at seeing his face.

Jordan "No, it's okay. Are you sure it was Hanna's dog?"

Eloise nods. "Yes, she showed me some pictures of the dog a few months ago... Remember when you brought her here for the first time? One of those nights, when you were out on a meeting, she was feeling a little down and she told me that her dog was missing and that she missed him. She looked so sad that night… that's why I was so happy the other day when you told me that she had found the dog. Hanna seems-"

Jordan cuts her off. "So George brought Hanna's dog here?" he asks her again.

Eloise "Yes, I saw him myself. He got the dog into the greenhouse"

Jordan "Okay, thank you for telling me this. This is really important. Please, don't tell anyone else" he tells her while leaving the room to go out to the garden of the mansion.

Eloise goes after Jordan. "Is everything okay?" asks concerned at seeing Jordan's reaction.

Jordan "Yes. Just please, don't tell anyone" he repeats again.

Jordan makes his way out of the house and then walks toward the end of the large garden where the greenhouse is. As soon as he opens the door, Chocolate shows up and starts barking at him. There's no doubt that that is Hanna's dog. He quickly pushes the door back closed and grabs his phone. He didn't get worried when he listened to Emily's voice message, he thought that Hanna must had gone somewhere and wasn't answering her phone. But now he is sure that something happened to her, and that his 'friend' is involved in that.

Jordan "Are you fucking insane, George? Where's Hanna? What did you do to her?"

/

It's been a few hours since Caleb spoke with Hanna's doctor. He is still in her room, sitting on a chair next to her bed, holding her hand, but he is asleep now. After texting the guys to let them know about the news about Hanna's health condition, he has been talking to her for a while, trying to get a reaction from her, or at least a sign of her being awake. But then he decided to leave her alone, since the doctor said that she needed to have some rest and also that it could take hours for her to start recovering, so he just fell asleep there, exhausted after the hectic night that he had and feeling better after learning that Hanna will be fine.

After a while, he receives a text on his phone and that wakes him up. But instead of grabbing his phone right away, the first thing he does after opening his eyes is checking on Hanna.

Caleb "Hi, baby… I'm sorry, I fell asleep" he places his free hand on her cheek. "Are you asleep? Or are you awake?" he asks her while caressing her cheek.

But Hanna remains exactly as before, so he grabs his phone now. It's a text from Emily.

Emily "We found Chocolate. He's alright. I'll talk to you later"

Caleb smiles at the good news. Thinking of Hanna waking up and asking him about Chocolate was freaking him out, since he wouldn't know what to tell her, but he doesn't have to worry about it anymore.

Caleb "That's great! Where was he? You sure he is okay?" he texts Emily back.

Emily "Yes, he is fine. Let's talk later. I'll take care of him, don't worry. Just focus on Han" she answers back. There's no way that she is telling Caleb that Chocolate is indeed with Jordan, that it was him the one who found him and then called her, and that he is bringing him back from Washington DC where the dog somehow ended up.

Caleb puts his phone away. Still sitting on the chair, he leans over Hanna's bed and pulls her closer to him. He rests his head on her body, his cheek pressed against her tummy, as if it were a pillow. He closes his eyes for a moment and starts to caress the palm her hand, the one that he promised her he wouldn't let go of until she got better.

Soon, he is falling asleep again, his tiredness winning him as he keeps stroking her soft hand. It takes him a while to realize that Hanna is moving her fingers as well, caressing him too.

Caleb lifts his head up from her body as soon as he becomes aware of her touch. He looks at her face but her eyes are still closed, so he looks at their joined hands to check if it's real or if he just imagined it. And yes, he gets to see that she is indeed caressing his hand, her touch is very soft, but she is moving.

A smile appears on his face right away.

Caleb "Han!" he tells her as he gets up from the chair and sits down on the edge of her bed. "Hi, baby" he leans forward and presses several kisses on her cheek. Then he pulls back to look at her again.

Hanna opens her eyes slowly, like if it took her a huge effort to lift her eyelids.

Caleb "Hi, beautiful" he greets her again and squeezes their joined hands, his smile wider than before as he stares into those blue orbs of her that unlike some hours ago, when they were in Toby's car, they seem to focus on him now, getting to make eye contact.

Hanna's eyes get watery in no time and Caleb can see the fear in them. He also can see that she breaks the eye contact with him for a moment to look at her free hand and then she looks back at him.

Caleb "Hey, it's okay. Don't be scared" he tells her softly. "You may not be able to move just yet, okay?" he tells her, assuming that she tried to move that hand of hers that he isn't holding but couldn't do so. "But the doctor already knows that, she ran some tests on you and she told me that you will get better in a few hours, so don't freak out" he takes her other hand as well, holding both of her hands in his now.

Hanna opens her mouth like if she were about to say something, but no words come out and a few tears roll down on her cheeks.

Despite the happiness of seeing her awake and seeming more conscious, Caleb gets a lump in his throat now at seeing Hanna's desperation for not being able to move or speak.

Caleb "Han, you will be okay. Trust me" he takes one of his hands to her face, and cupping her cheek, he wipes one of her tears away with his thumb. "Just like you started to move your hand, you will be able to move the rest of your body soon, okay?" he keeps stroking her cheek. "Chill, babe. I'm here and I won't leave your side until you get back to normal, not even for a moment, okay?" he tells her, trying to calm her down and then he wraps his arms around her and lifts her torso up from the mattress. He pulls her into a hug, his palm on her nape to hold her head carefully. "I'm taking care of you" he presses a kiss on her cheek.

After a couple of minutes, he puts Hanna back on the mattress. She looks calmer after his comforting hug.

Caleb "I'll let the guys know that you are awake, okay?" he tells her while taking her hand again and he grabs his phone with his other hand. "Toby, Spencer and Aria are here… in the waiting room. I told them to go home, but they won't leave no matter what" he smiles at her. He is about to tell her that Emily is taking care of Chocolate, but he decides not to mention the dog just yet. He still doesn't know what happened to Hanna exactly and if she remembers it or not, so he just avoids mentioning it.

Caleb starts typing on his phone and can't help smiling widely at feeling how Hanna starts to stroke his hand again, still very softly, but that little gesture of hers means the world to him at that moment. He rushes to finish texting the guys to focus on Hanna again. He puts his phone down and looks back at her.

She's staring at him, but her eyes aren't wide open as before, she looks sleepy now.

Caleb "You are still tired?" he gives her another smile.

Hanna just keeps staring at him.

Caleb reaches out and caresses her hair. "It's okay, go to sleep. I'm right here"

Hanna gives him a very soft squeeze in his hand.

Caleb "I'm not sure if that means that you want me to stay or if you are telling me to leave you alone, but I'll go for the first option and I'll just stay here" he shoots her another smile and moves to sit by her side, leaning back on the half-raised head of the hospital bed. Then he wraps an arm around her and pulls her toward him, resting her head on his chest. "Try to get some sleep" he tells her softly.

Hanna closes her eyes right away, feeling completely relaxed for the first time in hours. It couldn't be otherwise, she is being held in his arms, and it makes her feel safe.

Caleb starts to rub her back gently as he takes his phone with his other hand and reads some texts from the guys, who are happy to know that Hanna is getting better.

After a while, he leaves his phone and looks at Hanna again. He stares at her for some seconds, but then he can't help disturbing her sleep at wondering if Hanna is still conscious.

Caleb "Han, babe" he whispers to her while caressing her hair.

Hanna takes a few seconds to open her eyes again, but when she does, her eyes focus on Caleb's right away.

Caleb "I'm sorry, I just wanted to check if you were fine. Go back to sleep"

But Hanna's eyes remain wide open as she stares at him. And Caleb takes the opportunity to contemplate those beautiful big blue orbs of her, those piercing eyes that seem so much more expressive now that they are one of the few parts of her body that she is able to control at the moment.

Caleb "Get some rest, baby" he tells her after a while and leans in to kiss her lips. He only opens his mouth enough to capture her lips, and after squeezing them between his a couple of times, he pulls back.

Hanna's eyes are back closed now and remain like that as she tries to go back to sleep.

/

Around an hour later, a nurse gets into Hanna's room.

Nurse "How is she?" the woman asks Caleb as she goes check the intravenous bag that she connected to Hanna's arm before, to prevent her from getting dehydrated.

Caleb "She's much better. She's been awake for a few minutes a while ago. Is Dr. Webber around? I think she should see her"

Nurse "Yes, I just ran into her. She said she would come in a few minutes. She has been really busy today"

Caleb nods.

Hanna opens her eyes, waking up at hearing the voices.

Nurse "Hi, Hanna" she greets her warmly and Hanna looks at her. "I'm glad you are doing better. I was just checking this" she points at the IV bag that is empty now. "I'm taking it off… You no longer need it"

Caleb puts her back on the mattress and then he sits up straight.

Nurse "The doctor is going to come to check on you soon, okay?" she tells her after finishing with the IV bag, but Hanna is no longer looking at her, she is looking at Caleb now.

Caleb immediately takes her hand again. "She hasn't spoken yet" he tells the nurse.

Nurse "Oh, okay" she answers Caleb and looks back at Hanna. "Don't worry, you will be able to speak soon" she gives her a smile and then leaves.

Caleb "How are you feeling?" he asks her while standing up, still holding her hand.

Hanna only stares at him.

Caleb "Come on, try to say something" he encourages her.

Hanna opens her mouth slightly but at that moment, two men get into the room, so she turns her gaze toward them.

Caleb turns around and looks at the men as well. One of them is intern Williams, the guy that was assisting Dr. Webber before. The other one, is a man in his sixties, another doctor, Caleb assumes.

Doctor "Morning" he only says and checks the medical chart at the end of Hanna's bed. "So this is the girl that was admitted for being sedated?" he asks the intern while reading the information.

Intern Williams "Yes, doctor"

Doctor "By an injection in her back?"

Intern Williams "Yes"

Caleb "Excuse me" he interrupts their conversation, making them turn to him.

He lets go of Hanna's hand for a moment to approach them.

Caleb "She is barely starting to recover, and she can't move or speak yet, so I haven't talked to her about what happened. Doctor Webber said that we should wait to do so until we can know how she is emotionally. So please, could you not talk about all that in front of her?" he asks politely, and in a low voice, trying not to be heard by Hanna.

Doctor "Yeah, but doctor Webber just finished her shift, so I am her doctor now. We are doing this my way"

Intern Williams "Excuse me, doctor, but I have to tell you that this man here is right. Hanna's tests have allowed us to know that she has responded very well to-"

Doctor "Yeah, I can see that here. Her senses work" he says while waving Hanna's medical record in the air. "But it doesn't mean anything, with this amount of sedative in her body, she must be just as confused as a junkie down a bridge. I'm sure she doesn't even know where she is right now" he says out loud, not caring to be heard by Hanna.

Caleb gets irritated now. "She does know. She knows very well what's going on, she just-"

Doctor "Who brought her here?" he asks intern Williams, ignoring Caleb.

Intern Williams "He did. He's her boyfriend. He found her unconscious"

Doctor "I assume that it wasn't a robbery. Did any specialist in sexual assault examine her?"

Intern Williams "No, Doctor Webber did a superficial examination but she seemed fine. There weren't signs of any-"

Doctor "Oh, please. A specialist in the matter should determine that, not Dr. Webber. Please, go get someone, anyone on duty, we must do it as soon as possible"

Caleb "Okay. No" he says, completely done with this new doctor's attitude. "No one else is touching her until she gets better. No more tests, no more exams. She needs to stay calm, she's already dealing with too much. And please, stop talking about all this in front of her because she is very conscious and listening to everything" he tells the doctor out loud this time, firmly, making sure he understands that he is very serious.

The doctor narrows his eyes. "First of all, I am the doctor here, so I decide when we are finished with exams. You don't get to tell me how to do my job. And secondly, do you have anything to hide? It is already too suspicious that you are the only person accompanying her here. You are not a relative of her, you are just her boyfriend, and she can't even confirm it in her condition. Anyway, someone is going to examine her, whether you agree or not, I don't care. And depending on the results of those exams, I will have to call the police or not, but if I do, I'm sure you will be the first person they will want to talk to"

Caleb "I am not the only one here. There are friends of her in the waiting room, and one of them is a police officer. I already made a report to the police myself when she was missing, so no, I have nothing to hide. Anyway, I won't keep arguing with you. I am not saying that you can't do those exams, I'm just asking you to wait until she gets back to normal. She can't move or speak, I won't let you make her go through that kind of exams when she's like this. Besides, for what Dr. Webber told me before, they may not be necessary, she's fine"

Doctor "Again, I am her doctor now and we are doing this my way" He arrogantly tells Caleb and then looks back at intern Williams. "Go get someone. And also bring a nurse, I want to repeat the blood test"

Caleb turns to look at Hanna now. Her face is a mess of tears. It's obvious that she is hearing and understanding everything they say. He quickly approaches her and takes her hand again.

Caleb "Look what you just did" he tells the doctor. "I told you she is listening to everything. No one is gonna touch her again. She needs to be calm, she needs to rest. Now please, leave us alone or I'm taking her home now"

Doctor "You can't just take her away. You can't refuse to-"

Doctor Webber "What's going on in here?" she says while coming into the room, after having overheard a bit of the argument from the hallway. She sees Caleb's annoyance and Hanna's upset. "What are you doing here? This is my patient" she tells the other doctor.

Doctor "Your shift finished a while ago, I was checking on her"

Doctor Webber "Well, I'm doing some extra hours today" she tells him and snatches the medical record of Hanna from his hands.

Intern Williams only stares at the doctors from the side, not wanting to get into any trouble.

Doctor "Good for you, because I think you haven't finished examining this patient yet" he says and leaves.

Caleb is grateful that Hanna's first doctor has showed up again. "It's okay, Han. You are fine, don't worry" he tells her softly as he wipes her tears away.

Doctor Webber "What happened? Why is she so upset? Did she wake up like this?"

Caleb "No, she was okay until that other doctor showed up. He talked shit in front of her" he says, pretty annoyed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude" he apologizes right away at realizing his poor choice of words.

Doctor Webber "No, please. I am the one who needs to apologize here. I got busy with another patient and I couldn't come to check on her before. It's been such a hectic night here… and I also want to apologize for my colleague. He is a good doctor, but his manners aren't the best. Besides, he watches too much medical drama on TV and then he likes playing the hero here" she tells Caleb and rolls her eyes.

Then, Dr. Webber looks at Hanna. Because of the way Hanna is staring at her expectantly and with her eyes still full of tears, she can tell that just like she thought before, her mind is way more awake than her body is, since she seems to be understanding everything that is going on.

Dr. Webber "Hi, Hanna" she greets her with a warm smile. "I don't know what you heard from the other doctor, but I am the one who has been taking care of you since you arrived here and I can assure you that you will get better soon. I know it doesn't seem like that right now, but trust me, we have run tests on you, you will be fine" she explains to Hanna, trying to calm her down a bit.

But Hanna doesn't look any calmer. Indeed, some more tears wet her face again.

Intern Williams "The doctor talked about the sedative. And also mentioned that she needed to be examined furtherer. I think she heard it too" he informs his boss, trying to be more subtle with his words than the other doctor was.

Doctor Webber nods at him and looks back at Hanna. "It is true that you were injected with a sedative, that's what is keeping you immobile for now. We also know that it wasn't you, since it was in your back. But although we don't know who did it or why, I can assure you that your body is perfectly well. That's why I didn't call anyone else to keep examining you. I don't think this was about something sexual, okay?"

Hanna remains just as upset as before.

Doctor Webber "Anyway, you are safe now. And you don't need to worry about anything. Just focus on getting better, fine? If you are tired, try to get some sleep. If you feel like trying to move, do it" she stares at Hanna, but her attempts to calm her down don't work, her words have no effect on her. "Maybe she is in shock, she doesn't seem to be paying attention to what I tell her" she tells intern Williams, wondering if she was wrong about Hanna being able to understand everything.

Caleb "No, she was alright just a while ago. She was starting to move, she was listening to me, she was even about to try to speak when the other doctor showed up over here. She is not in shock, she is worried about something or just upset after everything that she just heard, I think she-" he stops talking at feeling a squeeze in his hand. "She just squeezed my hand. She was also doing it earlier"

Doctor Webber "Okay, that's good" she tells Caleb. "So Hanna, let's do this: if you can comprehend everything we are talking about, squeeze his hand again"

Caleb smiles right away at feeling Hanna's response. "She did it again, she squeezed my hand"

Doctor Webber "Looks like you found a way to communicate" she gives Hanna a smile. "Can you squeeze my hand too? I want to check if you can do the same with this one as well" she explains to her as she takes her other hand.

Hanna manages to press the doctor's hand as well.

Doctor Webber shoots her another smile before letting go of her hand. "Great, Hanna! See? You are getting better!" she tells her and then turns to intern Williams. "Let's just let her settle down for now". Then she turns to Caleb. "She's evolving just like I thought she would. She will start regaining strength throughout her body just as it happened with her hands. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. She will also be able to speak then"

Caleb "Good" he says with a grin on his face and squeezes Hanna's hand.

Doctor Webber "I'll come back to check on you later, Hanna. You may be able to go back home today" she tells her while walking toward the door.

Caleb lets go of Hanna's hand for a moment and approaches the woman. "Excuse me doctor, there are some friends of her in the waiting room. Can she have visitors?"

Doctor Webber "I'd rather she didn't. She's already too upset and we don't know why. Let's give her some time to calm down now. Once she can speak again, we will see" she tells him softly, trying not to be heard by Hanna.

Caleb nods. "Okay"

Doctor Webber and the intern leave the room. Caleb goes back to Hanna and takes her hand once again.

Caleb "Hey…" he tells her softly as he sits on the edge of her bed. "Don't be so sad. You are going home today" he reaches out with his free hand and wipes her tears away again, since she hasn't stopped crying. "I don't know if you can remember what happened, maybe that is what has you so upset, but try to focus on the good things, okay? Stay positive. You are okay, baby. I'm so glad to know that. And whatever has happened to you, we will figure it out later, together. I'm here for you. I'll keep you safe, I promise. Don't be scared"

He stares at her, and although she looks just a bit calmer, her tears keep rolling down on her cheeks. Caleb can tell that there is still something that worries her. So he decides to keep talking to her.

Caleb "I'll stay with you tonight… at your place or at mine, it doesn't matter… We can sleep all cuddled… with Chocolate"

Suddenly, Hanna's eyes open wide and Caleb notices it.

Caleb narrows his eyes. "Are you worried about Chocolate maybe?"

Hanna squeezes his hand right away.

Caleb "He is okay, baby" he tells her while caressing her hand. "What an idiot! I should have known better, it was obvious that you were worried about him" he smiles at her.

Hanna starts to caress his hand too.

Caleb "Look, I don't know what happened, but I do know that he was with you when it happened… but I have the feeling that you already know that… don't you?"

Hanna gives him another squeeze in his hand, letting him know that his guess is right. Caleb knows that this is not the right moment to talk about what happened to her, she can't even speak, so he simply keeps the conversation focused on the dog.

Caleb "Well, he is fine, Han. He is with Emily right now. She is taking care of him, so don't worry about it anymore" he presses a kiss on her forehead. "God, I miss your voice so much, I hope you talk to me soon" he gives her a tender smile.

Caleb stares at her for a few seconds, but then he can't help the need of having her closer, so he wraps his arms around her torso and lifts her up from the mattress carefully, to hug her. He gets surprised at feeling her arms enclosing him as well, very weakly, but she is hugging him back. A huge grin appears on his face.

Caleb "I'm so glad you are okay, babe" he tells her and smooches her neck.

After a while, Hanna's arms loosen their grip, so Caleb lays her back on the bed.

Caleb "Rest a bit" he tells her softly.

But Hanna stares at him with wide-open eyes.

Caleb "Not sleepy?"

Hanna reaches out and she is the one who takes Caleb's hand this time. She even manages to pull softly from his hand.

Caleb "You are starting to move your arms too, that's great!" he tells her as he gets closer to her, assuming that that is what she wants. He turns around and sitting by her side, he leans back to rest on the half-raised head of the hospital bed. Then, he turns to the side to look at her.

Caleb "Try to say something… I want to hear you" he tells her softly and pecks her lips.

But Hanna brings her hand to his face and very much softly, she pulls him back to her mouth.

Caleb smiles. "You want a kiss?" he says against her lips and waits for a moment, trying to encourage her to try to say a simple 'yes' at least.

But Hanna remains quiet. She stares at him for a bit before closing her eyes. And that's when Caleb can't help but fulfill her wish, he finally starts to kiss her. He kisses her very gently, since she barely manages to move her mouth to part her lips slightly, and the kiss depends entirely on him. He kisses her for a while, and when he is about to pull away, he starts to feel Hanna's lips pressing his lips too. He smiles in the kiss right away and keeps kissing her. With each move of her lips, Hanna gets to recover more strength and some minutes later, she manages to catch up with Caleb's pace, since he keeps the kiss slow. Caleb couldn't be happier to have Hanna like that. Just a couple of hours ago, he would never have imagined being sharing a kiss with her so soon. And Hanna gets to surprise him again when she turns her head to change sides, making the kiss even better. That only encourages Caleb to go for more and he gently involves his tongue in the kiss as well. Just like it happened with her lips, Hanna moves her tongue very slowly at first, but then she starts to pull it into his mouth too. The kiss that started a bit sloppy has grown strong and has become an intense kiss now, although it's still slow and gentle. But the important thing is that it's been a kiss full of feelings from the beginning and it has helped Hanna a lot to get her strength back.

After several minutes of kissing, it's Hanna who pulls away from Caleb's lips. When she opens her eyes, she finds him smiling. They stare into each other's eyes for a while.

Hanna "I love you too" she says very softly.

Caleb's smile grows wider. "What?"

Hanna "I love you too" she repeats, a bit louder this time.

Caleb "You heard me?"

Hanna nods. "I always hear you"

Caleb grins. "I love you so much" he tells her while taking his hands to her face, and then, cupping her cheeks, he starts another beyond romantic kiss.

* * *

Heeey! I finally got to update! I tried to update several times yesterday, but there was some problem on the website and couldn't upload the file with the chapter! Anyway, I just finished my breakfast and here I am :)

About the chapter, it goes for all those who love Caleb being protective of Hanna. And now you know where poor Chocolate ended up...

FrenchBenzo, you were right, I took some names from Grey's Anatomy for the doctors, but to be honest, I've never watched the show, my sister does, and she was doing so when I was writing this haha. Anyway, I think that Doctor Webber is a man there, but here she is a woman LOL.

I'm glad that you liked the previous chapter and I hope you like this one too! Till next time! Byeee!


	26. Chapter 26

Hanna "Oh my god, Caleb!" she yells from the little bathroom of her room at the hospital.

Caleb is waiting for her outside, right next to the bathroom door.

Caleb "You okay?" he asks right away, worried and ready to push the door open if necessary.

Hanna "Yeah, I'm okay, but I'm wearing your underwear! Oh my god, everyone must have seen it! How embarrassing!"

Caleb "Oh, god, Hanna. You scared the hell out of me! It's fine, it's no big deal… Please, just don't yell like that anymore"

Hanna "I'm sorry, babe"

Hanna comes out from the bathroom a couple of minutes later. Caleb takes her hand and places his other one on her waist in order to accompany her back to the bed just like he did before to the bathroom.

Hanna smiles and takes his hand off of her waist. "Really, I'm okay. You don't need to help me"

Caleb "I just wanna make sure you don't fall. You just started to move your legs a while ago, Han"

Hanna "Okay, but just hold my hand" she tells him as she starts to walk to the bed.

And she makes it to there with no problems. Maybe a little slower than normal, but she walks perfectly well.

Hanna "See?" she shoots him a smile as she sits down on the edge of the bed.

Caleb smiles back and standing in front of her, he presses a brief kiss to her forehead. "I'm glad you are so much better"

Hanna wraps her arms around his waist and hugs him, her cheek pressed against his stomach, since he is standing and she is sitting. Caleb starts to rub her back with one hand and he caresses her hair with the other.

Caleb "How are you feeling?"

Hanna "I'm perfectly well. Can you go get the doctor? I wanna go home now"

Caleb pulls back from her embrace and places his hands on her shoulders, making Hanna look up at him. "Are you sure that you are 'perfectly well'?" he asks her, using her same words. "You need to be honest, Han. Don't rush this just to go home faster. It's okay if we have to stay here a little longer. I just want you to be completely well"

Hanna "I'm okay… maybe my head hurts a little, but I'm okay"

Caleb stares at her.

Hanna "Okay, fine. My head hurts like a lot, it's killing me. But I'm okay anyway"

Caleb "Yeah, you had a strong blow to your head. They already checked it out, but we are going to mention it to your doctor again, just to make sure it's normal. Maybe she can give you something for the pain"

Hanna nods.

Caleb sits down on the edge of the bed next to her and wraps his arm around her waist to hug her from the side. Hanna tilts her head to the side right away, resting it on his shoulder.

Caleb "Han… I know it's maybe too soon to ask you this… but I really need to know… What happened to you? What do you remember?"

He finally decides to ask her, despite the doctor asked him to wait before doing so. Hanna seems to be doing well after all, she even has been smiling, and he sees no difference in waiting for the doctor to talk to her. Indeed, he'd rather talk to Hanna alone. He knows that it will be way less awkward for her, and also that she will be more honest to him.

Hanna swallows hard and takes a moment to answer, recalling what happened in her head.

Caleb "I'm sorry, I know it's too soon… but the doctor is gonna ask you anyway, and I just thought you would-"

Hanna "I know, babe" she cuts him off while taking his free hand in hers. "I was just trying to remember it better, but I can't… it happened so fast" she starts to stroke the palm of his hand. "I only know that some man tried to steal Chocolate from me and I tried to stop him… but nothing else. I only remember being trying to stop this man, but that's all"

Caleb "Could you see this man? His face? Or something that could help us recognize him?"

Hanna shakes her head. "It happened too fast"

Caleb "So this was all about Chocolate?" he asks while looking down at her.

Hanna looks up at him too. "I guess so"

Caleb "Well, it makes sense now the fact that you were sedated with a sedative for animals… I guess it was meant for Chocolate"

Hanna "A sedative for animals?" she asks him surprised.

Caleb "That's what the doctor told me after your blood test"

Hanna "Who would take so much trouble only to steal a dog? I mean, Chocolate is such a beautiful dog, but still…"

Caleb "Yeah, and then abandon you both in the woods right after… it just doesn't make any sense"

Hanna "In the woods? You found us in the woods?" she asks him astonished.

Caleb "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I'm talking too much, I shouldn't be talking to you about all this right now. Let's just-"

Hanna cuts him off again. "No, I want to know everything. Please, help me put the pieces together... So I ended up in the woods?"

Caleb nods. "I found you there. The guys and I were looking for you there... I haven't talked too much with Emily, but they were still looking for Chocolate in the woods before she told me that they had found him, so I guess he was there too"

Hanna "Why were you looking for me there? This happened right outside my house, on my street"

Caleb "Really? It happened right there?"

Hanna "Yeah, I never made it to the park"

Caleb sighs.

Hanna "So? How did you know that I was in the woods?" she asks again.

Caleb "I got worried because you didn't come to my place and I couldn't contact you, so I called Emily. But she hadn't heard anything from you either, and you weren't answering your home phone, so we went to your place. That's when we found out that your car was still there but Chocolate wasn't, and that the last time we both had heard from you was in the afternoon. We assumed that something had happened to you when you took Chocolate to the park. Then we went to the police station, but those assholes there didn't pay attention to us. Anyway, we called Toby and the rest of the guys and we kept looking for you on our own. The guys went drive around your place and the park as Toby and I stayed at my place trying to track your phone down"

Hanna "Oh, but I still had my GPS location off. I forgot to switch it back on"

Caleb "Yeah, it kind of made it all harder… on top of that, the signal of your phone was very weak. I guess it was because it was all broken. Anyway, we managed to track down the cell phone tower from where your phone was receiving that poor signal, it wasn't so exact, but we knew where to look for you at least. That's how we ended up in the woods"

Hanna "So I was there in the woods the whole time? I was there for hours?" she asks and Caleb can notice a bit of anguish in her voice, not to mention her sad eyes.

Caleb tightens his grip around her waist, pressing her harder against him. "I think we should stop talking about this for now"

Hanna agrees with him, so she only rests her head back on his shoulder and they remain silent for a few seconds.

Hanna "I wanna go home" she tells him after a while.

Caleb "Okay, I'll go get the doctor"

Caleb is about to stand up, but Hanna wraps her arms around his shoulders, stopping him.

Hanna "No. I want you to stay with me. Let's just ask a nurse to go get the doctor"

Caleb "Okay" he presses a soft kiss on her lips.

/

About half an hour later, the doctor finally shows up over Hanna's room.

Dr. Webber "Hi, Hanna" she greets her with a warm smile. "You seem to be much better" she adds, seeing that Hanna is already wearing her own clothes and sitting on the bed.

Caleb is standing next to Hanna. He has tried to make her lie down and get some more rest until the doctor got there, but she has refused to do so and she also has put her clothes from the day before back on, although Caleb also told her to wait a bit longer and that he could ask one of her friends to go get her some clean clothes. But Hanna was very anxious to go back home and she wanted to be ready to leave as soon as the doctor discharged her, and so she is.

Hanna "Yes, I am much better. I'm ready to go home"

Caleb only rolls his eyes.

Dr. Webber gives her another smile. "We need to make sure that you are completely well before"

Hanna nods.

The doctor asks Hanna some questions in order to know how she feels physically as she checks out her pupils, her reflexes, and her general condition. Then, she asks her to stand up and walk in a straight line, and just like she did before, Hanna walks perfectly well.

Dr. Webber "Perfect, Hanna" she tells her as Hanna sits back down on the edge of the bed. "Seems like you were right, you are much better. I'll just give you some ibuprofen for your headache, that's all I can do. You can't have anything stronger than that because your body has had enough for today. Anyway, it should be enough to calm the pain, the blow to your head was strong, but you are all right"

Hanna nods again.

Dr. Webber "Can you remember what happened to you, Hanna?"

Hanna "Yes" she says right away. "Someone tried to steal my dog. I was taking him to the park, and some man appeared out of nowhere. I tried to stop him, but that's all I know, I can't remember anything after that"

Dr. Webber "I know this may be a bit awkward, but I have to ask… You told me before that you had used the bathroom, did you feel anything out of normal when you did so? Some pain or any little discomfort?"

Hanna shakes her head no. "Everything was fine"

Dr. Webber "So, what you just told me about your dog is all you can remember? This man that you mentioned… did he try something else with you?"

Hanna shakes her head again. "No, he didn't"

Dr. Webber "You sure?"

Hanna "Yes" she says very sure.

Dr. Webber nods. "I thought so"

Hanna "Then why do you keep insisting on it? The other doctor even blamed my boyfriend for it. That's not what happened, I don't know why you all just jumped to such a conclusion when there was not even a little sign of that"

Dr. Webber "Well, we as doctors have some obligations. Sometimes, we have to call the police on our patients. For example, when it's a victim of gun shot or we also have a duty to report suspected child or elder abuse, among many other things. Anyway, you got here unconscious after being found in the woods, that by itself, was already very alarming. Then we learned by your blood test that you were sedated and we also found the puncture in you back, so it was obvious that you had been drugged by someone else. You have to understand that all those things made us think that you could be a victim of a sexual assault. I immediately dismissed that suspicion after a quick check-up, but I still had to ask you those questions, to make sure"

Hanna nods, more understanding now.

Dr. Webber "Anyway, although this was just a robbery that went wrong, I still think that you should go to the police yourself. You should do something about it"

Caleb "Yes, we will" he says and takes Hanna's hand.

Dr. Webber smiles at them. "Well, so we are repeating the blood test now that you are better and if everything is okay, you can go home later"

Hanna "Later? How long?" she asks a bit depressed, since she thought she would be able to go home right away.

Dr. Webber "Around an hour, maybe a bit more, but not so long. I know you want to go home already, don't worry, I'll send a nurse to take the sample right now and I'll be attentive to the results so I can come back here as soon as they are ready"

Hanna "Thank you" she forces a smile, trying to be kind despite her disappointment.

Dr. Webber "Meanwhile, there are some friends of yours waiting outside. I'm sure they'll make your wait much easier" she smiles back at Hanna and then leaves the room.

Caleb stands in front of Hanna now. "I'll go get the guys, okay?" he leans in and placing his palms on her shoulders, he pecks her lips.

Hanna "No" she says and rests her hands on his forearms. "Don't leave. Text them to come in"

Caleb nods and smooches her lips once more.

/

Some minutes later, after the nurse takes a new sample of Hanna's blood and leaves, Toby, Spencer and Aria get in Hanna's room.

Aria "Han! I'm so glad you are alright! We were so scared!" she says and goes hug Hanna.

Spencer "Han! I still can't believe this!" she joins the embrace. "Thank god you are okay"

They pull away after a few seconds and Toby approaches her now.

Hanna "Hey… you look way worse than me" she teases her friend with a slight smile on her face as he pulls her into a hug too.

Toby "Yeah, let's just say that I didn't get any sleep thanks to you… but I'm happy that you are fine anyway" he jokes back and squeezes her against him before pulling away.

Aria "So, what happened to you, Han?"

Spencer "Do you remember anything?"

Hanna "Someone tried to steal Chocolate from me right in front of my house… but I can't remember anything else"

Toby "All this just to steal a dog? There must be something else behind it… Dog theft is not common, I don't recall any report of a dog theft at the station. Are you sure it was that, Han?"

Hanna "Yes, I'm pretty sure. This man was pulling Chocolate away from me… he also put a bag on Chocolate's head. He wanted to take him away"

Spencer "Aren't there security cameras on her street? Maybe you could do something to check them out at the station" she asks her boyfriend.

Toby shakes his head no. "But you should go to the station and make a report, Han. The police won't do anything if you don't report what happened to you first"

Caleb "Yeah, sure they will do something… just like they looked for her last night" he rolls his eyes.

Toby "I'm sure they will do something to clarify this"

Caleb "Please! They did nothing for a missing person, I'm pretty sure they won't trouble themselves just to investigate a failed stealing of a dog that is perfectly well"

Toby looks at Caleb now. "They'll pay attention to her now. You already reported her missing, now you two should go over there and tell them what happened. They must open an investigation, she ended up unconscious in the woods and then spent hours at the hospital, it was more than just a failed theft"

Hanna "Can we just stop talking about this? I'm kind of done" she says a bit annoyed already.

Caleb "Yeah, sorry"

Toby "Sorry, Han… but really, think about it… it's important"

Hanna "I won't report anything else to the police. I'll just go there and say that I'm all right, that I got lost in the woods myself. I'll tell them that my phone broke when I was walking my dog or something. I don't want them to open any investigation about anything. I don't want any more questions and I don't want anyone else to know about what happened to me. I just want all this to end as soon as possible"

Toby "Come on, Han… you can't just-"

Hanna cuts him off. "I made my decision"

There's an awkward silence until Aria finally speaks.

Aria "How are you feeling?" she changes the subject in an attempt to cut with the awkwardness.

Hanna "I'm good. I just want to get the hell out of here"

Hanna has gotten a bit cranky and the guys notice it.

Caleb "I know, babe… just a little longer" he places his palm on her knee and gives her a squeeze there.

Spencer "Have you talked to your mom, Han?"

Hanna shakes her head. "She must be busy in London. I'll text her later"

Aria "Are you telling her about what happened?"

Hanna "Of course not. I don't want to worry her. Besides, I don't want anyone else to learn about this"

Aria nods at her.

The guys keep talking about everything and nothing, although Hanna doesn't participate much in the conversation. Then, after about an hour, Hanna's doctor gets back over there, and so they leave the room. Caleb remains standing next to Hanna.

Dr. Webber "Good news, Hanna" she smiles at her. "You can go home now. Everything is okay"

Hanna's face lights up when she smiles at the good news. Caleb smiles as well and places his hand on Hanna's shoulder.

Dr. Webber "You can keep taking ibuprofen if your headache comes back, just make sure to leave 6 hours between doses, okay?"

Hanna "Okay"

Dr. Webber "And you need to rest. No work, no workout, sleep as much as you need and stay calm"

Hanna nods.

Caleb "I'll make sure she does so"

Dr. Webber smiles at Caleb and then looks back at Hanna. "Well, you can leave when you are ready. You are gonna have to stop by at the front desk and do some paperwork before leaving"

After saying goodbye to Hanna's doctor and after doing the paperwork to leave the hospital, Hanna and Caleb meet the guys outside. Once there, Hanna thanks her friends for being there for her. Toby and Spencer leave and Aria gives them a ride to Caleb's place.

/

Caleb "Okay, I'll go grab my things and then we are going to your place, fine?" he tells Hanna after they step into the house. "Go sit down on the couch. I'll be right back" he kisses her cheek.

Hanna nods.

Caleb heads toward the stairs.

Hanna "Can we go pick Chocolate up at Emily's before going to my place?"

Caleb "Sure"

Hanna goes to the living room and sits down on the couch as she was told. But she only stays there for a few minutes because she's thirsty and so she goes to the kitchen for a glass of water.

She pours herself some water and drinks it. When she puts the empty glass down, she notices a baking dish full of food on the countertop next to the oven. She gets closer. It looks delicious, she doesn't know what it is, but the top of it is covered by grilled cheese. That's when she realizes. It must be the food that Caleb cooked for the date that they were supposed to have the previous night. A huge sadness invades her right away and her eyes get watery. She can't help feeling sad at thinking of Caleb cooking for her, and then waiting for her with dinner ready, wondering why she didn't get there yet when she even promised him she would be there early to help him cook. Soon, she is weeping unable to stop. Her tears soaking her cheeks. The happiness of going back home has been replaced for a strong feeling of anguish.

Soon after, Hanna feels Caleb's arms enclosing her waist and pulling her against him from behind her back. She didn't even hear him coming.

Caleb "Hey" he tells her softly. "What's wrong?" he leans forward and gives her a tender kiss on the neck.

But Hanna doesn't answer, so he unwraps his arms from her waist and takes his hands to her shoulders to make her turn around.

Caleb "Why are you crying?"

Hanna "That's the food you cooked for last night, isn't it?" she asks as her tears keep emerging from her eyes.

Caleb smiles at her. "Does it look that bad?" he jokes while pulling her toward his chest in a hug. "Don't worry, you won't have to try it. It's already spoiled anyway"

Hanna "I'm sorry" she answers, ignoring his joke, still feeling sad.

Caleb "For what, Han?"

Hanna "You took the trouble to cook all that for me and I never came over"

Caleb "It's okay" he says very calm. He knows that she is not just crying over some stupid food, he thinks that she must be upset for all that happened to her and maybe the food is just an excuse to cry it all out. "I can cook for you again another day… and you can actually help me cook next time" he jokes and smiles again.

Hanna looks up at him and Caleb places a kiss on her cheek, right on one of her tears.

Caleb "Hey, everything is okay" he gets serious now. "Let me clean this up and then we can leave" he takes his hands to her face and wipes her tears away with his thumbs.

Hanna nods.

Caleb "How about picking Chocolate up tomorrow?"

Hanna stares at him.

Caleb "You know he is in very good hands with Em… and we can order some pizza and eat in bed, cuddling together… we need to get a good night's sleep"

Hanna "Fine" she agrees, since his offer sounds very tempting.

Caleb gives her another smile and after sharing a brief soft kiss, he pulls away from her to clean up his kitchen, since he didn't have the time to do so during the chaotic previous night.

/

Later, at Hanna's.

She gets back in her bedroom after having taken a shower. Caleb is there, sitting on the edge of her bed.

Caleb "You are gonna have to get a new phone, babe… it doesn't work" he tells her while holding up the pink smartphone with the cracked screen. "And I think it also ran out of battery, it hasn't beeped for a while now… use my phone to text your mom" he says and puts it down on the bedside table.

Hanna only nods as she starts to brush her hair. She is wearing a bathrobe. Caleb can tell by the reddish of her eyes that she has been crying in the shower.

Caleb "Come here" he tells her while moving backwards to sit more over the center of the bed and he spreads his legs, making some room for her to sit between them.

Hanna goes sit there right away.

Caleb "Let me" he tells her while grabbing the hairbrush from her hand. Then he starts to brush her hair softly, being careful not to pull her wet hair.

Hanna remains serious.

Caleb "It will get better, Han… I know you are too sad right now, but give it some time… it will get better with time"

Hanna nods as a single tear rolls down on her cheek.

Caleb puts the hairbrush away. "I just wish I could do something to make the pain go away faster" he wraps his arms around her shoulders, hugging her from behind her back.

Hanna "You are already doing so" she turns her head to the side to look at him. "And very well"

Caleb doesn't say a word, he only gets his face closer to hers and starts a very romantic kiss.

Then, Caleb goes take a shower too and later, just like he promised her before, they eat pizza in bed while watching TV. For moments, he gets to make Hanna forget everything that happened to her, and he even gets a few smiles and laughs from her.

/

Hanna gets out of the bathroom after having brushed her teeth and is about to get back in her bedroom when she suddenly remembers something. She needs to take her birth control pill. Indeed, she needs to take two of them since the previous night she skipped one, for obvious reasons. She heads to the staircase but stops before the steps at seeing the darkness downstairs, since all the lights are off on the ground floor of the house.

Caleb "Are you finished with the bathroom?" he asks her from the door of her bedroom, holding his toothbrush in his hand.

Hanna "Mm, yeah"

Caleb "Is everything okay?" he asks her, seeing that she is standing at the staircase but doesn't go down.

Hanna "Uhh… could you do me a favor?"

Caleb "Sure"

Hanna "I need to take my birth control pill… they are in my purse, on the kitchen island, I think… can you go bring them to me?"

Caleb "Yeah" he says and heads toward the staircase. He places a kiss on her forehead on his way there. "Go to bed" he tells her before going downstairs.

Hanna goes back to her bedroom and gets in the bed. Soon after, Caleb comes back with her pills.

Caleb "Here" he hands her the pills along with a glass of water.

Hanna "Thanks" she tells him and takes two pills at once.

Caleb leaves for the bathroom. When he comes back, he gets in the bed next to Hanna. She is lying on her side, so he lies on his back and pulls her toward him. Hanna rests her head on his chest right away, sticking her cheek to the bare skin of his chest and wraps her arm around his waist. Caleb wraps one arm around her as well, and with his free hand, he starts to caress her hair and her cheek.

After a while of cuddling together in silence, Hanna lifts her head up from his chest to meet her lips with his. Caleb kisses her back very delicately, making the kiss feel like a soft caress to their lips. But soon after, Hanna makes the kiss deeper and because of the way she uses her tongue, Caleb can tell that it's not just a goodnight kiss.

Caleb pulls back from her lips and resting his head back on the pillow, he smiles at her. "You need to go to sleep"

Hanna "No, I need you"

Caleb smiles again and takes his hand to her face. "I'm not having sex with you tonight, you just got out of the hospital"

Hanna "So what?"

Caleb "Your doctor said no workout, and having sex is pretty much alike that"

Hanna "No, it's not… rough sex may be, but that's not what I want right now… I want it gently"

Caleb "Please, don't talk like that" he bites his bottom lip and then lets out a deep breath. Hanna talking about sex is such a big turn-on to him.

Hanna "Like what?" she asks amused.

Caleb "Nothing, it doesn't matter" Wrapping his arms around her again, he pulls her down back to his chest. "Let's go to sleep, you need to rest right now… I promise I'll do whatever you want tomorrow" he says and yawns.

Hanna "Okay" she says softly and places a tender kiss on his neck before resting her head back on his chest. She gives up so easily because Caleb's yawn reminded her that he slept almost nothing the night before; he spent half of the night looking for her and the other half sitting on a chair next to her bed. He surely deserves to have a good night's sleep. "Good night baby, sleep well" she tells him sweetly.

Caleb "Good night, Han. You too" he turns off the bedside lamp and then he holds her tighter, pressing her harder against him, which is very comforting to Hanna.

* * *

OMG guys! I'm so sorry, it's been more than a month since last time I updated. You probably thought that I had died or something, but I didn't. My laptop did though... that's why I didn't show up before. I don't know what's with me, but I keep breaking computers. Anyway, I'm back bitches :) Feel free to cuss me out for making you wait so long in your reviews but you can also let me know what you think about this chapter haha.


	27. Chapter 27

Some hours after going to sleep, Hanna wakes up. She doesn't feel Caleb's arms around her anymore and she is facing away now, so she rolls over, seeking that comforting physical contact with him. Although it's dark, she opens her eyes and manages to see that he is no longer in the bed. His side of the bed is empty. She can't think straight because she just woke up from a deep sleep. All of a sudden, she gets frightened. Her anxiety raises from one moment to another, she starts to hyperventilate and her heart races. She sits up, but when she is about to get up from the bed, she freezes because her fear is too strong, so she just remains sitting on the bed and brings her legs to her chest, embracing them with both her arms.

Hanna "Caleb!" she calls for him with all her strength.

Caleb gets there in no time. He storms into the bedroom in a rush since Hanna's shout sounded more like a desperate cry for help. By the time he turns the bedside lamp on, climbs on the bed and takes her in his arms, Hanna's face is already soaked by her tears.

Caleb "What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asks her at feeling her body trembling in his arms.

But Hanna doesn't answer so he just tries to comfort her by rubbing his hand on her back gently. "It's okay, babe… I'm here"

Hanna "Where were you?" she asks him a few minutes later when she is calmer.

Caleb "I just went downstairs, for a glass of water"

He lies to her. He didn't go for a glass of water. He was watching TV in the living room. He has been there for the last two hours. Only an hour after going to bed, he started to have nightmares, all of them related to what happened to Hanna, but unlike how it happened in reality, none of his nightmares ended well. He just can't get out of his mind the picture of Hanna lying in the ground from when he found her in the woods, she really looked dead, and so she was in his nightmares. Anyway, after having the third nightmare in a row, and waking up soaked with sweat, he decided that it was enough. He didn't want to wake Hanna up because the last thing she needs is to find out that Caleb is worried and kind of fearful for what happened to her too. So that's why he left the bed, that's why he lies to her now.

Caleb "Are you okay?" he asks her again.

Hanna "Yes, I'm sorry. I don't know why I reacted like this"

Caleb "It's okay… I guess it's normal. I mean, after all you just went through…"

Hanna pulls away from his arms and wipes her tears away. "I don't want to be like this anymore"

Caleb "Hey…" he tells her softly. "It hasn't been even a day yet. I told you, it will get better with time"

Hanna "I just want to feel safe in my own house again" she says and lies down in the bed.

Caleb lies down on his back next to her too and remains silent, staring at the ceiling.

Hanna "What are you thinking about?" she asks him after a short while.

Caleb looks at her. "I think we should go to the police tomorrow and tell them what actually happened. The truth"

Hanna "No. That's not happening. I'm just gonna tell them that I got lost myself"

Caleb "Look… I didn't care about it before, because I was pretty angry at the Rosewood Police for not paying attention to us last night, well, I still am. But now I think you should report what really happened. You have nothing to lose. The worst that can happen is that they don't figure it out. But what if they do? I think you would feel much safer that way… knowing the truth, getting some answers…"

Hanna "I don't think it's worth it. They are gonna ask many questions, personal questions, that I don't feel like answering. Also, I'm sure they will want to talk to you, and probably to the guys as well. I don't want it. I don't want them to open any investigation"

Caleb "Han, don't worry about us. I don't care if I have to go talk to the police, I don't mind answering questions. And I'm sure the guys won't mind either. We all will be there for you"

Hanna "What if the police blame you just like that doctor did at the hospital?"

Caleb shrugs. "I don't care. It's obvious that I will be a suspect to them at the beginning, but it doesn't worry me in the slightest. I didn't do it and I have many ways to prove it" he takes Hanna's hand and starts to play with her fingers. "Really, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Let's do it… someone needs to pay for what they did to you"

Hanna "I don't know…" she sighs.

Caleb "Come on… I'll be there for you" he gets closer to her and places a kiss on her cheek before resting his head on her pillow to remain close to her, turning on his side now in order to face her. "We can go to the police station tomorrow after lunch"

Hanna "Okay… but I need to see Chocolate before that… I miss him"

Caleb "Of course… we are picking him up in the morning"

Hanna takes one of her hands to his head and starts to caress his hair.

Caleb "How are you feeling?"

Hanna "I'm okay… but I think my headache is coming back. It's not so strong as before, but still"

Caleb "It's been more than six hours since last time you took ibuprofen. Do you want to take another pill?"

Hanna doubts for a moment.

Caleb "I don't have to go downstairs to get them" he turns around a little and reaches out to grab a blister pack from the bedside table. "I brought them here just in case" he says while showing the pills to her, assuming that her hesitation is due to the fact that she doesn't want to be left alone again.

Hanna gives him a smile. "Okay, I'll take one" she takes the blister pack from his hand.

Caleb smiles back and presses a kiss to her forehead.

Hanna sits up in the bed and takes the glass of water that she used when she took her birth control pills earlier. There's little water left into the glass, but it's still enough for her to take the ibuprofen. As soon as she does so, she lies back down to cuddle with Caleb again.

Caleb "Wanna go back to sleep?" he asks her while wrapping his arms around her.

Since they both are lying on their sides, facing one another, Caleb manages to hug her properly and Hanna feels really good resting her head against his chest, being able to hear his heartbeat. She wraps an arm around his waist as well, since her other arm is trapped in Caleb's tight embrace.

Hanna "Uh huh" she only answers, her eyes already closed.

/

Morning after.

Caleb has had a shitty night. First, the nightmares tormenting him, and then, after Hanna woke up having what he thinks was some kind of panic attack, he had trouble to go back to sleep, so he remained just watching her sleep in his arms for almost two hours before he was able to go to sleep again. On top of that, he woke up early, feeling extremely hot given to the heat of that summer morning and Hanna's body stuck to his only made it worse, although of course, he loved waking up so close to her. That's the only part he would never complain about.

Now he is having coffee sitting at the kitchen island after having taken a shower.

He looks at the time on his phone. He wants to give Emily a call and let her know that they are going to pick Chocolate up when Hanna wakes up. But he decides against it at seeing that it's still too early to call her, it's a Saturday morning. He texts her instead.

Caleb "Hey Em! How are you doing? Let me know when you wake up. Hanna wants to go pick Chocolate up. Anyway, she is still sleeping, so it would be later. Let me know if that's okay with you. Thanks!"

He puts his phone down and takes another sip of coffee, but before he can place the cup back on the countertop, his phone starts to ring. It's a call.

Caleb "Hey, Em! I'm sorry, did I just wake you up?" he apologizes right away.

Emily "Hey! No, you didn't. I was already up, don't worry. So, Hanna is still asleep?"

Caleb "Yeah… I guess she is still pretty tired after all she went through yesterday…"

Emily "Poor Han… so she isn't right there with you?" she asks immediately.

Caleb "No, why?" he asks confused.

Emily "I need to talk to you about something"

A shiver runs down his spine at hearing that.

Caleb "Is Chocolate all right?"

Emily "Yes, he is. But he is not exactly with me…"

Caleb "What do you mean? You told me that you had found him. I thought he was with you, you told me that you would take care of him"

Emily "I know where he is and I also know that he is okay. I told you that I would take care of him, but I didn't tell you that he was with me. I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you worry because you were with Han, and-"

Caleb "Emily, please. Just tell me what's going on"

Emily "Okay. I didn't find Chocolate. Jordan did. He is with him"

Caleb "Jordan? You've got to be kidding me! That son of a bitch, I should have known better, it was obvious that he was behind all this shit"

Emily "We don't know that yet, Caleb"

Caleb "Yeah, sure, the guy just found the dog by chance and has nothing to do with any of this… why would he even be in Rosewood otherwise?"

Emily "He is not in Rosewood, Caleb. He is in DC, and so is Chocolate"

Caleb "Chocolate is in DC?" he asks very surprised.

Emily "Yeah. That's the problem. I told Jordan that I would go for Chocolate, but he said he would bring him here to Rosewood himself. The thing is that he said he would come here yesterday, but he didn't. And now he says that he can't come to Rosewood until tomorrow night, and he refuses to let me go for the dog because he wants to talk to Hanna and he thinks that Hanna won't want to see him, so that's why he is keeping the dog, to make Hanna have to meet up with him no matter what. He keeps insisting that he has nothing to do with what happened to her, but he won't even tell me where he found Chocolate"

Caleb "I'm so gonna kill him" he says very angry. "I can't believe this guy! Why doesn't he just leave her alone? It's seems like she can never get rid of that idiot! He is always there! What a pain in the ass"

Emily "Hey, calm down" she tells him warmly. "I agree with you, okay? The guy is a pain in the ass. I wish Hanna had never met him. But I don't think he is the guilty one here. I mean, he called me right away when he found Chocolate. He knew nothing about what had happened to Hanna, he sounded very surprised when I told him that she was in the hospital. He texted me several times to know how she was doing, he was utterly worried about her. And you think he would have told me about having found the dog if he had stolen him in the first place?"

Caleb "I don't know, Em. This is ridiculous. Nothing makes sense. He could be lying"

Emily "He said he would explain everything to Hanna, but only to her. He doesn't want to talk to anyone else"

Caleb "Well, that talk won't happen. Hanna isn't doing so well. She's a bit down and still afraid… Anyway, even if she was all right, I wouldn't let him get close to her. He is insane if he thinks that he can use Chocolate to get to Hanna"

Emily "So, what are we doing?"

Caleb "I'll go to DC myself, can you stay with Hanna until I get back?"

Emily "Caleb, if it was that simple, I would have gone to DC myself yesterday instead of wasting my time trying to make Jordan come to his senses. Chocolate is at Jordan's father's mansion. For what Hanna told to me and the girls after going there for the first time, it's a huge place and has a lot of security. Even if you managed to find out the address, you couldn't do anything. Jordan doesn't want to return the dog without talking to Hanna first, and you can't just break into the mansion, you won't even be able to get to the front door. It's impossible to take Chocolate out of that place"

Caleb's anger raises. He feels enraged now. Emily is right. He can't do anything. He clenches his jaw while thinking what to do, but Emily comes out with an option.

Emily "You need to talk to Han. You have no other choice"

Caleb "Fuck! I guess you are right" he says as he runs his free hand through his hair, a typical gesture of him when he feels frustrated. "I'm so done with this guy. Only hearing his stupid name makes me want to tear my hair out"

Emily "Just talk to Han… we will have to tell her the truth eventually, there's no point to keep waiting and I'm pretty sure she will want to see Chocolate today and lying to her is not an option. She would never forgive us if she finds out that Chocolate is there in DC and we kept that from her… that's why Ali and I haven't gone see her yet. We didn't want to lie to her. I thought I could solve this before, but I can't"

Caleb "Okay… I'll talk to her now. She wanted to go pick Chocolate up at your place yesterday, thank god I convinced her to wait until today…"

Emily "I just hope she doesn't get mad at me… but what was I supposed to do? She was at the hospital"

Caleb "No, I don't think she will get mad at you… she will understand… I just wish I didn't have to wake her up with such news… I guess she is just going to have another shitty day…" he sighs. "Anyway… I'll go talk to her now… I think we both are going to DC, because there's no way I'll be able to convince her to stay here once she knows everything"

Emily "Okay, go talk to her. Let me know if you need anything… I'm so sorry that I couldn't solve this for her, and I also feel sorry for not telling you everything before. I only wanted to help"

Caleb "Hey, it's okay. There's nothing I could have done if you had told me about all this yesterday, because I was with Hanna. So, thank you for trying at least, really. The only one to be blamed here is that dickhead Jordan"

Emily holds back a laughter. "Thank you, Caleb" she only says.

Caleb "I gotta go now. Let's talk later, okay? Bye, Em"

Emily "Yeah. Please keep me updated. Bye, Caleb"

After ending the call, Caleb stands up from his seat. He doesn't even finish his coffee, he throws it into the sink. If he were at his place, he wouldn't even bother himself to wash the cup, but he is at Hanna's. He takes the sponge and starts to scrub the porcelain with fury given that he stills feels angry and very frustrated for what he just found out. He is so sunk in his thoughts, well, in daydreaming about punching Jordan's face with all his strength that it takes him a while to realize that the cup in his hands is already shiny and that he has been washing it for much longer than necessary. Then, he turns off the faucet with such a blow that right after, he has to turn it back on just to make sure he didn't break it.

/

Caleb is standing at Hanna's bedroom's door frame. He has been there for the last five minutes, watching Hanna sleep while trying to figure out the best way to tell her about 'dickhead' having Chocolate at his place, in DC. He hates having to ruin her day even before it starts. She looks so peaceful there, hugging a pillow, her bare legs all sprawled across the bed, and of course, the incredible natural beauty of her makeup-free face, which has been invaded for a few strands of her soft blonde hair. The good thing is that such a view has helped him to calm a bit down, so his anger is not as strong as it was a few minutes ago, but he still feels frustrated.

Finally, he takes a few steps into the room and approaches the bed. First of anything, he picks up the note that he left there next to her on the mattress earlier when he got up, in which he let her know that he was having breakfast downstairs, just in case she woke up and freaked out at not finding him there, as it happened during the night. He squeezes the little paper in his fist and places it on the bedside table to throw it away later. Then, he climbs on the bed and sits down next to her.

Once again, he finds himself staring at her. He really doesn't want to disturb her sleep. He just hates the situation in which he is at the moment. Anyway, he knows that he has to talk to her no matter what, and there's no point in putting it off any longer, so after a few seconds, he finally takes his hand to her face and placing his palm on her jawline, he starts to rub his thumb against her cheek, her flushed cheek, which feels very warm under his touch, unlike the day before when he found her freezing in the woods. It seems like he will never be able to get that tormenting memory out of his head.

Caleb is about to lean in to peck her lips, but all of a sudden, Hanna's eyes open wide when she wakes up startled, so he stops right a few inches from her mouth.

Caleb "Hey, it's okay. It's me"

Hanna relaxes right away and shuts her eyes again. "God, Caleb… you scared me"

Caleb "I'm sorry, baby" he turns his face a little to the side and crashes his lips against her cheek instead of her lips. "Good morning" he tells her after smooching her cheek for a while, although he knows it won't be a good morning for her.

Hanna "What time is it?" she asks him, still with her eyes closed, and lifts her arms from the mattress to encircle his neck.

Caleb "It's still early… but I need to talk to you about something"

Hanna "Umm… Can't it wait?" she pulls him down toward her, tightening her grip around his neck. "Come here"

Caleb lets her press his body against hers, but he places his arms at each side of her to hold some of his weight up, not to crush her against the mattress. His legs extended on the bed between hers.

Hanna "Sleep with me for a little longer" she whispers to him, placing her hand on the side of his face and pulling down in order to make him rest his head on her pillow as well.

But Caleb hides his face into the crook of her neck instead; and giving in for a moment, he allows himself to close his eyes too and breathe in her rich scent. He knows now where that sweet scent of hers comes from, he has been smelling Hanna's stuff in the bathroom earlier before getting in the shower. He found out that it is a perfect mix between her vanilla body spray and her shampoo. That's what Hanna smells like, and he has loved it since he got to be close enough to her to sense it for the first time, after they stopped fighting and started to get along. He can't help starting to kiss her neck.

Hanna smiles. "You sure you only want to talk to me?" she wraps her legs around his waist, pulling him down against her even more.

Caleb comes back to reality now and pulls away from her neck right away. "Sorry, Han" He extends his arms now, and lifting his torso up, he looks at her. "I really need to talk to you about something"

Hanna knows because of the way he stares at her, that he is being serious. She unwraps her legs from his waist and Caleb moves aside. Then, she sits up and stretches her arms.

Hanna "Okay… just let me go use the bathroom first… I'm still kind of sleepy"

Caleb nods and Hanna gets up from the bed to leave the room.

/

Only a few minutes later, Hanna gets back in the bedroom.

While brushing her teeth and washing her face, she has had the time to think clearer and Caleb waking her up so early only to talk to her can't be good.

Caleb is sitting on the edge of her bed now and looks up at her when he hears her coming. Hanna notices the slight frown on his face immediately. It only confirms her suspicions.

Hanna "Okay, just go straight to the point" she tells him while walking toward the bed, and then she sits down next to him.

Caleb only stares at her.

Hanna "I can tell that you have something to tell me that I won't like, so just say it"

Caleb bites his lip. "Fine" he takes a deep breath before going on. "Chocolate is not with Emily. He is in DC and we have to go get him back. Jordan has him"

Hanna "Jordan?" she asks perplexed. "Why would he have Chocolate?"

Caleb raises his eyebrows at her. "I think it's pretty obvious, Han"

Hanna "You think he had something to do with what happened to me?"

Caleb "I think he had everything to do with what happened to you. He told Emily that he had found the dog there in DC, what are the chances he would if he had nothing to do with it?"

Hanna "No, it can't be true. There must be an explanation. He would never do such a thing to me"

Caleb "Hanna… He has Chocolate at his place. He told Emily he would bring him here yesterday, but now he says he won't come to Rosewood until tomorrow night. Emily wanted to go for Chocolate herself but Jordan says that he wants to talk to you, so he is not giving the dog to anyone else"

Hanna rests her elbows on her knees and leaning forward, she holds her head in her hands. "This can't be true, Caleb… I know him"

Caleb rubs his hand on her back. "Babe… I know it must be hard for you, but… How else would Chocolate end up right in that big city, more than two hours away from here… and what are the chances that among all the people in the city, Jordan was the one who found him. He didn't even want to tell Emily where he found Chocolate"

Hanna sits up straight. "So you and Emily have been lying to me? You even convinced me to leave Chocolate with Emily for the night by saying that he was in good hands!" she reaches behind her back and pushes Caleb's hand off of her.

Caleb "Come on, Hanna. You know me better than that. You know I wouldn't lie to you, much less when it comes to Chocolate"

Hanna "So?"

Caleb "I truly thought that he was with Emily. She told me that they had found him, that he was okay and that she would take care of him. But she never told me that Chocolate was with her, I assumed it myself. So no, we didn't lie to you. Emily was trying to make Jordan come to his senses and solve the problem for you, because you were in the hospital"

Hanna nods. "I'm sorry, I just-" she is on the verge of tears now. "I can't believe all this… I thought we would have a better day today, that we would go for Chocolate and finally go back to normal after talking to the police… but now… Fuck! Everything is so fucked up! Why is it always so complicated?" she says, half sad, half angry, as her tears finally escape from her eyes.

Caleb "Hey, it's okay" he takes her hand. "We are getting Chocolate back today. No matter what. I promise you" he tells her while staring into her eyes, letting her know that he is very serious about it. "And you won't even have to see Jordan. We will find a way. We are going to DC, pack your things in case it gets late and we have to spend the night in the city. We are leaving when you are ready" he reaches out and once again, just like he has been doing for the last two days, he wipes her tears away. "We will get your dog back, I promise" he repeats again.

Despite her tears, Hanna can't help smiling at him slightly. "Our dog. We will get our dog back"

Caleb smiles back and hugs her. "I hope you don't take it back next time you get mad at me" he jokes, making Hanna smile a bit more. "Go pack your stuff, babe" he tells her after pulling away from the hug. "Don't forget to pack that vanilla body spray in your bathroom"

Hanna laughs. "You have been going through my stuff?"

Caleb "I just needed to know what made you smell so damn good"

/

Around half an hour later, they are on their way to DC, in Caleb's car. Hanna is silent, staring out the window, sunglasses on and with a takeaway coffee cup in her hand.

Caleb "Wanna put some of your music on?" he asks her at some point, since they are just listening to the radio. "Take my phone" he offers, remembering that she doesn't have a phone at the moment.

Hanna "No, I'm okay" she only says, still facing away.

Caleb can see that she is pensive, so he decides to leave her alone and just focus on the road. But only a few minutes later, he takes a look at her and catches sight of a tear rolling down on Hanna's cheek from under her sunglasses.

He doesn't mind about the lack of sleep or the poor diet that he has had in the last two days for being at her side, supporting her throughout the hard time. But seeing Hanna cry is definitely something that he is not sure if he will be able to keep enduring. It just breaks his heart.

Caleb pulls over to the side of the road and Hanna wipes her tear away quickly.

Hanna "Is something wrong with the car?" she asks him in confusion, since she didn't even see him checking on her before.

Caleb shakes his head no. "Look, Han… you don't have to come to DC. Just tell me Jordan's address and I'll go bring Chocolate back myself. I'll turn around and take you back to Rosewood. This was a terrible idea. I shouldn't have-"

Hanna "What? No, there's no way I'm letting you go there and solve my problems for me. Jordan is my problem, not yours. I'll go for Chocolate and you are just going to wait in the car"

Caleb "Yeah, you are crazy if you think that I'll let you go inside that house alone. You'll just put your head in the lion's mouth by going in there. You ended up in the hospital because of that dickhead"

Hanna "He didn't do it, Caleb. I know it seems so, but he is not like that"

Caleb takes a deep breath trying to hold himself together, because Hanna defending Jordan just gets to his nerves and he has to make a huge effort not to explode. He can't believe that she still can't see what a jerk he is.

Caleb "Yeah, well, the police will have to determine that" he only says and falls silent. He stares into space as some vehicles pass by the road beside them. He is really pissed off, but he is not going to start an argument with Hanna. There's no point. She will never come around.

Hanna "Let's just get to DC first, okay? We can figure out what to do once we are there" she says softly, because although she doesn't get why Caleb's mood changed so suddenly, she can tell that he is a bit annoyed. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Jordan won't even be there. I'll just go get Chocolate and then we will just leave"

Caleb looks at her now and although she still has her sunglasses on, he still can see the sadness on her face. It only reminds him that there's no room for his annoyance, not when she feels so down.

Caleb reaches out and takes her hand. "Okay, but you don't have to deal with this on your own. You are wrong, this is not only your problem. I won't just stay in the car, I'm coming with you. We are doing this together"

Hanna gives him a slight smile and Caleb squeezes her hand before letting go of it to start the car. Then, he gets back on the road.

* * *

Hi guys :) I didn't take a month to update this time haha. Hope you enjoy this new chapter. Thanks for your reviews!


	28. Chapter 28

After more than two hours on the road, Hanna and Caleb finally make it to Jordan's father's place.

Caleb can't believe the huge mansion before them when he pulls into the driveway. And he doesn't miss out the ridiculous amount of security cameras all around the place. Emily and Hanna were right, he would have never been able to get Chocolate back on his own. What was he thinking? Of course it would be that way, that property belongs to a rich man who is running for president. He stops the car a bit away from the gate and looks at Hanna.

Hanna "I'll go ring the bell" she points at an intercom that is on Caleb's side but a little further on, past the car. She opens the door, but Caleb stops her.

Caleb "Wait, I'll get closer with the car and ring it myself"

Hanna "No, I'll do it. It has a security camera. Eloise, the maid, usually answers it. She will let me in, she knows me. Otherwise, she will make someone from the security personnel talk to you and they will ask you why you are here, your name, your ID, and stuff"

Caleb only gives her a nod and waits in the car.

It seems like Hanna was right, because only a couple of minutes later, she gets back in the car and the high gate before them opens.

Hanna "Eloise says that Jordan isn't here, but she let me in anyway. I think she doesn't even know about our breakup" she tells Caleb as they drive through the gate. "I told her that you were my cousin, I hope you don't mind… she saw you and asked me who was driving the car, and I-"

Caleb "It's okay. I don't care" he shoots her a reassuring smile. "Let's go for that big-ass bear that you have for a dog and get the hell out of here" he brings his hand to Hanna's knee and gives her a squeeze.

Hanna only smiles and places her hand on top of his.

/

After parking the car, they go to the front door of the mansion and ring the doorbell.

Hanna takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly, trying to calm her anxiety as they wait for Eloise to open the door.

Caleb "You okay?" he asks and is about to take her hand, but then he remembers that he is supposed to be Hanna's cousin, so he decides against doing so.

Hanna only nods. She can't wrap her head around Jordan being responsible for what happened to her, it just doesn't make sense. She still truly believes that there must be a logical explanation. But at the same time, being about to step into Jordan's father's mansion makes her really nervous, anxious and a bit sick. She doesn't know why, but she doesn't want to be there.

Caleb's lips crushing her cheek in a brief tender kiss bring her back to reality. She is so glad that he insisted on coming with her. What in the world was she thinking when she suggested that he waited for her in the car?

Caleb pulls away from her just in time before Eloise finally opens the front door for them.

Eloise "Hanna! How are you, my dear?"

Hanna "Hi, Eloise" she forces a smile and greets her back as she and Caleb step into the house. "I'm well, you?"

Eloise "I'm very well, thanks for asking" she answers warmly as always, and then turns to look at Caleb.

Hanna "This is Caleb" she introduces him, but she doesn't say that he is her cousin this time, it was already weird enough saying it before.

Eloise "Hi, Caleb" she greets him and Caleb greets her back with a simple nod. "So, what brings you here? Are you staying here for good?" she asks Hanna.

Hanna confirms right then that the woman has no idea about the breakup. "Oh, no… I just… I came for my dog. He is here, I'm just picking him up"

Eloise "Does Jordan know about this?"

Hanna "Mmm… he said he would bring my dog back to Rosewood, but he has been busy and… I just came for him myself"

Eloise "Okay, I'll have to call Jordan first, he told me not to-"

Caleb "It's her dog. Just give it to her" he cuts her off, knowing that if the woman calls Jordan, there's no way they are leaving with Chocolate anytime soon. "We came all the way here to get the dog back and we aren't leaving without him"

Eloise looks at him. "I understand, but this is my job. Jordan told me not to let anyone get close to the dog. I can't put my job at risk"

Caleb "This is not about losing your job, ma'am. You are being an accomplice to a crime. I think you have much more to lose if you don't give her the dog"

Hanna "Caleb, please!" she shoots a glare at him and then looks back at Eloise who looks very concerned after hearing Caleb's words. "Can I talk to you for a minute, Eloise? I'll explain it to you" she asks her, knowing that it will be easier for her to persuade Eloise if they talk in private.

Eloise only nods and gestures toward one of the doors, to indicate Hanna to follow her. Before Hanna can take a step, Caleb approaches her and puts his phone in her hand.

Caleb "Just in case" he whispers into her ear.

He doesn't feel comfortable with letting Hanna go alone to another room of that huge mansion, even if the maid seems to be a nice woman, he doesn't know who else could be in the house. That's why he gives her his phone, he wants her to have a way to communicate with someone if something goes wrong. And although Hanna thinks that he is being way too paranoid, she grabs the phone anyway and follows Eloise through the house until they get to the kitchen.

Eloise "Look, Hanna. I know that it's your dog. But Jordan gave me clear and precise directions when he told me not to let anyone touch that dog. Let's just call him first and then you can take your dog with you" she explains to Hanna kindly as she grabs the home phone.

Hanna "Eloise, Jordan and I are no longer together. My dog is here because someone stole him from me. I ended up in the hospital because of that"

The kind expression on Eloise's face changes and turns into concern. The talk that she had with Jordan the morning of the previous day when she told him that Hanna's dog was in the greenhouse comes to her mind.

Eloise "Jordan didn't do it" is the first thing that comes out from her mouth, and she sounds very sure about it.

Hanna "Do you know something?" she asks right away.

Eloise shakes her head. "Not really. But I was the one who told Jordan that your dog was here, he didn't even know about it. He was very surprised at finding out about it. He went see the dog right away, and then he got in a really bad mood, he was angry for the rest of the day. When George came back here later, they had a fight in one of the offices. I could also hear all the yelling from here"

Hanna "You think it was George?"

Eloise "It could be. He brought the dog here, I saw him"

Eloise's words shock Hanna. She falls silent. It all makes sense now. Jordan would never do such a thing to her. But George, she always knew that there was something wrong with that guy. The way he always mistreated her for no reason, and also, he always seemed to be meddling in Jordan's relationship with her and trying to control it. It must have been him. But, why? There are still some missing pieces of the puzzle.

Eloise's hand waving in front of her face brings her back from her thoughts. "Hanna, are you all right, girl?"

Hanna "Yeah, I'm sorry, I just…"

Eloise "Do you want a glass of water?"

Hanna "No… I want my dog back, Eloise. Please" she begs her, looking into her eyes.

Eloise "Fine. Fine" she sighs. "I guess that when Jordan told me not to let anyone approach the dog, he didn't mean you… I think he was talking about George"

Hanna "Yes… Jordan told me that he would bring my dog to Rosewood tomorrow anyway. I just couldn't wait" she tells Eloise, although she avoids telling her that Jordan was actually keeping the dog in order to force her to talk to him. Eloise is a nice woman, but she wants her dog back and honestly, she doesn't care that much if Eloise gets in trouble for letting her leave with Chocolate.

Eloise nods at her and they go back to where Caleb is still waiting. Then, she leads them to the garden where Chocolate shows up immediately, as if he knew that Hanna and Caleb were there. And as soon as the dog sees them, he rushes over to Hanna, running so fast that he destroys a few plants on his way.

Chocolate almost makes Hanna fall on the ground when he jumps on her, but Caleb stands behind her back and grabs her arms just in time to hold her.

With a huge smile on her face and tears in her eyes, Hanna hugs Chocolate very tight, or well, as tight as it is possible to hug an excited dog that doesn't stop moving.

Hanna "Hi, baby! I missed you so much" she is already shedding happy tears when she greets him. "I'm so glad you are okay, baby"

This situation reminds Caleb of that day when he took Chocolate out on a walk only to end up finding out that Hanna was his actual owner. He was devastated that day, he lost his best friend in only one second. But now, looking back to that day, he wouldn't change a single thing. Because although the situation was really painful for both Hanna and himself, it ended up bringing them together. Chocolate brought them together.

When Hanna lets go of the dog, it's Caleb's turn to greet Chocolate, and before he can even say a word, the dog is already leaping on him.

Caleb "Hey, buddy!" he only says while wrapping his arms around Chocolate, with a grin on his face as the dog licks his cheek.

When Caleb finally manages to get the dog off of him some seconds later, he looks at Hanna and smiles even more at seeing her smiling so widely. Damn, he missed that smile of hers. He would hold her and kiss her hard right there, but Eloise is there and he is supposed to be Hanna's freaking cousin. They still have to make it out of the house, so he doesn't want to screw it up.

/

Some minutes later, they get out of the house and go back to the car.

Caleb "Here, buddy" he tells Chocolate while holding the rear door of the car open for him.

Chocolate jumps into the car, still waving his tail happily and then Caleb closes the door. When he gets in the car as well, Hanna is already there in the passenger seat, so he starts the car and starts to drive away.

Hanna "God! Now, I can breathe" she says more relaxed once they go out through the gate, finally leaving the place.

Caleb gives her a smile. "Wanna go have lunch before going back to Rosewood? I'm sure we can find a dog friendly restaurant in the city"

Hanna "Yes, please. I'm starving" she smiles back.

/

Hanna and Caleb are still sitting at the table of the restaurant where they had lunch. It's a table outside, in the dog friendly area of the place. Chocolate is lying on the ground next to them. They have finished lunch a while ago, and now they are just relaxing before starting the trip back home.

Caleb "Come here" he tells her while pulling a bit away from the table, making some room for Hanna to sit on his lap. "You haven't given me a proper kiss since yesterday"

Hanna gets up from her chair and goes sit on him. "And why do I have to be the one to give you a kiss and not the other way around?" she says all smiley as she wraps her arms around his neck.

Caleb grins and wraps an arm around her too, then taking his free hand to her face, he cups her cheek and pulls her to his mouth. "You are right" he tells her before crashing his lips against hers.

They only kiss for a little while since they won't just make out right there at the restaurant table in the middle of the day and with so many people around.

Hanna "You look tired, babe" she tells him while caressing his cheek softly.

Caleb "Yeah… I think I could use a nap when we get back"

Hanna smiles at him. "You can get some rest in the car, I'll drive"

Caleb smiles amused. "No way"

Hanna "Why?"

Caleb "I've seen you drive. There's no way I'm letting you drive my car, babe"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "I'm not that bad" she says while raising her eyebrows and then bites her bottom lip.

Caleb grins and kisses her cheek. "You are so cute"

Hanna "Well, you can take a look at my cute face when I nap while you drive"

Caleb smiles amused once again and can't help kissing her lips again. At that moment, his phone starts to ring on the table before him, so Hanna pulls away from his lips.

Caleb "Mmm… it's an unknown number" he says after checking the phone screen. "Wanna take it? I'm pretty sure it's for you… maybe one of the girls. I've only got Emily and Spencer on my contacts"

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb nods and so Hanna grabs the phone and takes the call.

Hanna "Hi?" she says, expecting to hear Alison's or Aria's voice, but she is wrong.

Jordan "Hey, Hanna… it's me"

Hanna "Jordan?" she asks right away, wondering how the fuck he managed to get Caleb's phone number, and especially, how he learned that she was with him.

Caleb looks at her concerned.

Jordan "I need to talk to you, Hanna. It's important"

Hanna "Why are you calling me on this phone?"

Jordan "Eloise told me that you stopped by at my father's to get your dog back… she said that you were with your cousin, but I know you don't have any cousin, so I knew right away who you were with, and it only took me a little time to get his number. Anyway, I just want to talk to you. Let's meet up, please"

Hanna "I don't have anything to talk with you, Jordan. I don't wanna see you"

Caleb "What is he telling you? Just hang up" he tells Hanna.

Jordan "Yes, you have. You know that I had nothing to do with what happened to you. You have to know that. I know you do"

Hanna is about to hang up on him, and she even moves the phone a bit away from her ear, but then Jordan says something else that catches her attention.

Jordan "Don't you want to get some answers? Don't you want to know what really happened?"

Hanna brings the phone back to her ear. "Okay, tell me then"

Jordan "No, I need to see you in person. Just ten minutes, please"

Hanna sighs. "I can't"

Jordan "Yes, you can. Only ten minutes, Han… I just got out of a meeting and I'm on my way back to the city, I'll be there in about an hour. We can meet up wherever you want. It doesn't have to be at my father's"

Hanna doesn't answer. She's pensive.

Caleb "Hanna, just hang up on him" he tells her again, he is only two seconds away from snatching the phone from her hand and end the call himself.

Jordan "Just think of it, okay? You still have an hour until I get there. You have nothing to lose, I'm just asking you to have a talk. I promise I'll tell you everything I know"

Hanna "And what do you want in return? I know there must be something, you don't want to meet up just to tell me what you know. You want something else"

Jordan "I only want you to listen to me… that's all I want. I'll text you when I arrive and we can arrange where to meet up"

Hanna "Fine" she finally agrees.

Jordan "Thank you, Han. I'll text you. See you"

Hanna doesn't say goodbye, she only ends the call. When she looks at Caleb, he is staring at her.

Caleb "So?"

Hanna "I'm meeting with Jordan in an hour" she goes straight to the point, even though she knows that Caleb won't like it.

Caleb "You what?" he asks, unable to believe what she just said. He also loosens his grip around her waist.

Hanna "He said he would tell me everything he knows"

Caleb "You are not meeting up with him. That just won't happen"

Hanna gets off his lap and sits back on her chair. "I need answers, Caleb"

Caleb "Well, the police will give you those answers. You are not meeting with that jerk" he says firmly.

Hanna "You should know by now that I'm not that kind of girl that you can tell her what to do"

Caleb "No, believe me, I know it. I know you won't do what I ask you. You only do what Jordan tells you to do"

Hanna "Fuck, Caleb! You said it yourself, the police may never figure out what happened to me. I'm going to see Jordan because I need to know what really happened. And I won't put up with your jealousy"

Caleb "My jealousy? Really, Hanna? You think I don't want you to go see him because I'm jealous? I'm just trying to protect you. I want to keep you safe! You want to go meet up with the person who sent you right to the hospital. No, even worst. You ended up discarded in the middle of the freaking woods, drugged, because of him, you were lucky to make it to the hospital"

Hanna looks around and feels very embarrassed at finding out that people from other tables are looking at her. She only looks down and falls silent.

Caleb sighs and stands up from his seat. "I'll go ask for the check" he says and goes inside.

Chocolate stands up as well at seeing that Caleb left, but Hanna quickly takes her hand to the dog's head and starts to pet him, so he rests his head on Hanna's lap. She's so grateful to have him back with her.

Hanna "I love you" she whispers to the dog who is staring at her.

/

Once they get back in the car, there's a really awkward silence between Hanna and Caleb. The atmosphere is tense. And even Chocolate is sitting quietly on the back seat, like if he understood everything that is going on.

Caleb puts the key in the ignition and is about to start the car but he decides against it and looks at Hanna instead. She is staring out the window and she has gone back to have the same sad face that she had that morning before getting Chocolate back. Caleb just can't stand seeing her like that.

Caleb "I'm sorry, Han. I shouldn't have been so rough with you before… it wasn't about jealousy, and I didn't mean to tell you what to do either. I only wanted to keep you safe. Really"

Hanna turns to look at him.

Caleb "I'm sorry" he says again.

Hanna smiles slightly. "I know" she takes his hand. "It's okay"

Caleb "Anyway, I still don't want you to go see Jordan"

Hanna "Caleb, I need to do this. I'm not asking for your permission. I made my decision"

Caleb "Well, I won't take you with him. I refuse to do so. We are going back to Rosewood just like we had planned"

Hanna "Okay. I'll just take a cab then" she says and opens the car door, knowing that Caleb is going to stop her. She still needs his phone to communicate with Jordan and she also knows that Caleb won't leave her alone anyway. "Drive safe" she pretends to be about to get out of the car. And just like she expected, Caleb reaches out and grabs her arm.

Caleb "Hanna, please!"

Hanna "Caleb, I'm doing this. With or without you"

Caleb sighs. "Fuck, fine! Just close the damn door and let's talk this through" he says frustrated.

Hanna closes the car door and looks at him. He's got a very serious expression on his face. His lips pressed together.

Hanna "It wasn't Jordan, babe… I talked to Eloise. She told me that he knew nothing about Chocolate being at the house. He learned about it because of her. And she also told me that he and George had a fight that day. I think it was George. That's why I want to listen to Jordan. I want to know what really happened. You have no idea how hard it is for me not to know what happened…"

Caleb's face softens a little. He does know how hard it is for her, because it's just as hard for him. Wondering who could have done something like that to her, and why, has been driving him crazy. It could be anyone in the world, he also has had horrible nightmares during the night because of it. It wasn't until that morning when Emily told him about Jordan having Chocolate that he started to think that Jordan was the culpable. And although it made him angry, he had someone to blame, someone with a face, someone with a name, someone to protect Hanna from, so it kind of eased him a little at least. And now, he feels vulnerable again. He still thinks that Jordan must be guilty somehow, even though Hanna doesn't think so. He is sure of it. But what if there were more people involved? Like this George guy, he is surely one to be blamed as well. But anyway, keeping Hanna away from Jordan and all the people around him, is still more important to Caleb than getting answers. He just doesn't want her to meet up with that douchebag.

Hanna "Hey! Are you even listening to me?" she brings him back from his thoughts.

Caleb "I know it's hard, okay? But you don't have to go see him. Let's go back to Rosewood, please" he takes her hand and squeezes it. "I'll help you get answers, we will figure this out together"

Hanna intertwines their fingers and rests their joined hands on her lap. "Babe… even if we get to find out who did it, we will never be able to know why… they took Chocolate away from me, it just doesn't make any sense. I need to go see Jordan. I'll do it"

Caleb tilts his head back against the seat headrest and closes his eyes before letting out a sigh. He feels so frustrated. "Fine. I'm coming with you then"

Hanna "What? No! No way. I need Jordan to open up to me. I need to talk to him alone"

Caleb doesn't say anything, he only turns to her and bites his bottom lip. He stares at her, not knowing what else to say.

Hanna takes her free hand to his face and starts to caress him softly with her fingertips. "I'll be fine, Caleb. We are meeting up at some public place, a coffee shop or something like that"

Caleb "Okay" he finally says. "But you are sitting at a table next to a window where I can see you from the car"

Hanna smiles at him. "Okay, that's fine"

Caleb "And I also want to make it clear that I don't agree with this in any way. The only reason why I'll take you there is because I know you will meet up with him anyway and I just want to make sure you don't end up hurt again. But I'm not okay with this"

Hanna nods. "I understand" she only says.

/

After driving through the city for like 50 minutes, Caleb finally finds a coffee shop with large windows and more important, a parking space right in front of the place from where he will be able to keep an eye on Hanna.

Caleb "Well, I guess this place is fine" he says without any enthusiasm after parking the car.

He has been very quiet after Jordan's call. He has barely spoken to Hanna in the last hour. And Hanna gets it, he just doesn't agree with what they are doing, he doesn't feel okay with it, but still, he is there for her, and she is really grateful for that.

Hanna "I'll need your phone to text Jordan the address"

Caleb hands her his phone without even looking at her.

Hanna "Thank you" she grabs the phone and texts Jordan. Then, she puts it down on her lap and looks at Caleb.

He is absent-minded, just watching the people pass by the street. He looks tired and his expression shows some sadness and disconformity.

Hanna gets closer to him. "Hey" she tells him softly while placing her hand on his cheek to make him look at her. "Just ten minutes, okay? I'll be right back and then we can go back home"

Caleb only nods.

Hanna pulls his face closer to hers to kiss him, but her lips only touch his lips slightly because he turns his face to the side.

Caleb "I'm sorry, I'm not in the mood right now"

Hanna pulls away from him. He is more pissed off than she thought, he just turned her down. She never thought he would reject a kiss from her. She is about to say something, but Caleb's phone buzzes on her lap and it's a text from Jordan, letting her know that he will be there in about 5 minutes.

Hanna "I gotta go inside now…"

Caleb "Okay, make sure you sit at a table next to the window"

Hanna "I know" she opens the car door, but before getting out, she gets closer to Caleb again and places a few kisses on his cheek. "Don't be mad. I'll be right back" she tells him and turns away to get out of the car, but Caleb grabs her arm, so she turns back to look at him.

Caleb "If you need me to go inside at some point, just wave at me or something. I'll be right here"

Hanna gives him a slight smile and nods. "Thank you"

/

Being some minutes late, Jordan finally makes his way into the coffee shop. He doesn't even see Caleb sitting in the car outside.

Hanna swallows hard at seeing him approaching her table.

Jordan "Han! I'm so glad that you are okay" he greets her with a smile and instead of just sitting on the chair across her, he goes hug her.

Hanna doesn't hug him back, but she doesn't push him away either. He just took her by surprise. "Hi"

Caleb gets out of the car right away, ready to go inside, but before he can take a step, Jordan pulls away from Hanna and finally sits down on the chair across the table, so Caleb gets back in the car.

Caleb "What a jerk!" he mumbles and Chocolate pokes his head between the front seats right away and gives him a lick on the cheek, which causes Caleb to smile amused. "Yeah buddy, if he touches your mom again, I'm going in"

And there Chocolate is again, cheering one of his owners up. He is definitely what makes Hanna and Caleb keep grounded.

Caleb "He better keeps his hands to himself" he adds then, and takes his hand to Chocolate's neck to caress him there.

Jordan "So… where's your 'cousin'?" he asks Hanna, putting emphasis in that last word.

Hanna "Not here…" she only says.

Jordan "You are dating him already?"

Hanna "I didn't come here to talk about Caleb with you… you asked me for ten minutes to listen to you, the clock is ticking"

Jordan nods and is about to say something, but the waitress shows up to take their order. She has approached the table before, but Hanna told her that she was waiting for someone else to join her.

Waitress "Are you ready to order?"

Jordan "Yes, I would like a black coffee, please"

The waitress nods and then looks at Hanna.

Hanna "I'm good, thanks"

Jordan "Don't you want a latte?"

Hanna "I'm not here to have a coffee with you, Jordan"

Jordan "That would be all, thanks" he tells the waitress and so she walks away.

Hanna "Well, can you explain to me how the hell did I end up drugged in the woods now?" she goes straight to the point.

Jordan "I'm so sorry about what happened to you, Han" he reaches out to take her hand, but Hanna moves her hand away.

Hanna "Jordan, I don't have time for shit. Tell me what happened. Why was Chocolate at your father's?"

Jordan "First of all, you have to know that I had nothing to do with any of that. I knew literally nothing until I talked to Emily. She told me that you were at the hospital"

Hanna "Well, just tell me what you know"

Jordan "Okay… when I woke up that morning, I had a message from Emily in my voicemail, she said that she and your friends were looking for you and she asked me to call her if I had heard from you in the last hours, but I hadn't, so I was just going to tell her that. I thought that you were fine, that you just weren't answering your phone or something. But then, I learned from Eloise that Chocolate was there, locked in the greenhouse and that's when I freaked out. She also told me that George had taken him there. I went to the greenhouse and yes, it was Chocolate. I called George right away, but he didn't want to talk about it over the phone, so he told me that he would come to talk to me later, that everything was all right and that I had nothing to worry about. So I called Emily right after and when she told me that you were in the hospital, unconscious, I knew that George had screwed it up badly and I called him back. I made him come back to my father's and tell me what the hell he had done"

Hanna "So it was George" she affirms, she already knew that it was him. "Did he tell you why?"

The waitress brings Jordan's coffee so they make a pause and when she walks away, Jordan goes on with his story.

Jordan "Yeah, he did… you weren't supposed to end up hurt, his stupid plan just went wrong"

Hanna "His 'stupid plan', Jordan? Really? It was way more than a stupid plan! He is a freaking psycho! He is sick!"

Jordan "He didn't want to hurt you"

Hanna "He injected me a sedative for animals and then threw me away in the middle of the woods where no one could find me"

Jordan "He didn't do it"

Hanna stares at him.

Jordan "He hired two ex-convicts to steal your dog, but they weren't supposed to hurt you. He wanted them to steal the dog in front of you, but he told them not to touch you. He specifically asked them not to hurt you"

Hanna "What?"

Jordan "I know it's fucked up, okay? But he didn't mean to hurt you. We don't know what happened, what went wrong, but those men brought Chocolate to George, just as he asked them and after he paid them, they got away. George didn't learn about what had happened to you until some hours after, and it was too late. They were nowhere to be found… George didn't know that they had drugged you and abandoned you. It was never his intention to hurt you, or Chocolate"

Hanna "Fuck, Jordan!" she says in frustration. "You are seriously defending him?"

Jordan "No, I am not. I'm just telling you what happened"

Hanna "And why did he want Chocolate? For what? It doesn't make sense"

Jordan "I had told him that you had broken up with me. He thought that you would come back with me eventually if you didn't have your dog to hold you back in Rosewood. It was all about my father's campaign. He thought that we could really use you to improve my father's public image… people don't like him that much, you know? And apparently, me marrying you would help it a lot"

Hanna "He is insane, Jordan. You need to stay away from him"

There's a moment of silence and then Jordan speaks.

Jordan "His plan wouldn't have worked anyway. Even if I had never found out about it"

Hanna "Why?"

Jordan "Because I didn't tell George that you left me for Caleb. He only knows that some guy named Caleb was the one who had found the dog a year ago and kept him… and that he lives some blocks away from you. He wanted to find him and pay him money to take the dog back and leave Rosewood for good… but he wasn't counting on you hooking up with Caleb, so you would have found out anyway, because of Caleb"

Hanna "Jordan, you are really pissing me off right now. First of all, I didn't leave you for Caleb. I left you because of you. It just happened that I fell in love with Caleb meanwhile. And I am not just hooking up with him, we are together. I didn't tell you this before because I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but you are being an ass right now and I won't put up with your shit anymore"

Jordan "I'm sorry, I-"

Hanna "I'm not finished yet" she interrupts him. "Let's just cut the shit and tell my why you are here saying all this to me, because you are obviously on your psycho friend's side here"

Jordan "I'm not on his side, okay? I know he screwed it up really bad. I tried to kick him out when I learned about what he had done, but my father won't let go of him so easily. He still needs him"

Hanna "Well, he is gonna take your father down with him"

Jordan "Anyway, there is something I want to ask you…"

Hanna "I knew so" she rolls her eyes.

Jordan "I told you everything I know, Han… I didn't keep anything from you. I promise. And I did so because I want to ask you not to go to the police"

Hanna frowns.

Jordan "I already gave you the answers you needed, Han. You know now who did it and why. Those two men that hurt you only wanted the money and they got it. George is not going to mess with you again. Chocolate is okay and back with you"

Hanna "Yeah, well, but George just fucked up my life and he is getting away with it"

Jordan "Look, Hanna… I get it, okay? but this thing will only get worse for both sides if you go to the police. It will turn into a scandal, it will be on the news, the press will drive us crazy. My father is running for president and George is his freaking right-hand man, you can imagine how fast this will grow big. Everything will come up, our relationship issues, your affair with Caleb, George's dirty tricks in my father's campaign. We both can say goodbye to our privacy and my father to his candidacy. On top of that, George will make up a good story to turn it all against you, he is very clever when it comes to make shit up. Believe me, he will find a way to get away with it anyway. And he also has very good lawyers. You will only end up more hurt"

Hanna "You are really threatening me?"

Jordan "I'm not threatening you, Han. I'm being honest with you. I'm trying to protect you"

Hanna "Well, it doesn't seem so. You are just trying to protect your father and save George's ass. You only want me to keep my mouth shut"

Jordan "I've been talking about this with my father and George, okay? I'm not going to lie to you. We've been talking about this for like two hours last night. They wanted me to offer you money to shut your mouth. But I know that you are not like that. You would never accept money in exchange for anything. I know you. So I told them that I would just talk to you. And I also feel awful for what George did to you. And yes, I want to protect my father too, but I don't give a shit about George. That's why I'm here just talking to you, telling you the truth, and you know that I am right about everything I just told you. If you go to the police, there's no going back, Hanna"

Hanna looks down. "Yeah, I know"

Jordan "So?"

Hanna "I won't go to the police. But you have to promise me something" she looks up at him. She wasn't going to go to the police anyway, but since she has the chance, she is going to ask for something in return as well.

Jordan "What?"

Hanna "Don't ever tell George about Caleb and me being together… he already tried to take Chocolate away from me. I don't want him to try something against Caleb too"

Jordan "Don't worry. I won't. And believe me, you are safe now, Hanna. George won't mess with you again. He understood that you will never get back with me again. I told him that I would tell you the truth, so he can't expect you to come back with me after all this thing"

Hanna "Okay" she only says.

Jordan "I need you to do something else, Hanna"

Hanna "Seriously? What?"

Jordan "I need a proof that you won't go to the police. That's the only way my father and George will get convinced that they have nothing to worry about what happened and leave you alone"

Hanna "I can't believe that after what George did to me, I'm the one who has to prove him something"

Jordan sighs. "I'm sorry, Han. But this is the only way. I'm trying to help you here" he reaches out to take her hand again, but once again, Hanna moves her hand away.

Hanna "Don't touch me. Just tell me what you want me to do"

Jordan "Just take your phone and send George a voice message. Tell him that you just picked Chocolate up at my father's and thank him for taking care of him"

Hanna "What? You just want me to cover up what he did to me myself? You really want me to cover for George?"

Jordan "Please, Hanna. It's just a stupid voice message and then you can leave and go on with your life"

Hanna "It's not just a stupid voice message, I would give him the proof of his innocence"

Jordan "I know, but it's the only way he will leave you alone for good. I can't do anything else for you, Hanna. This is the only way. He asked me for this"

Hanna opens her mouth to say something but her bottom lip starts trembling and her eyes get glassy. She is about to break down.

Jordan "It's okay… take a moment to think of it… but I truly believe that it's the best option, Han"

Hanna "I'll do it" she says while blinking tears back.

She doesn't need to think about it, of course George hurt her a lot, much more emotionally than physically, and she knows that it's not fair that he gets away with it so easily. But she also knows that she doesn't have a chance against George anyway. Everything that Jordan told her before it's true. He has a lot of power, there would be no point in taking the chance and go to the police. But the most important part for Hanna, over all those things, is that it's not only her the one that could be in danger if she decided to go against George despite everything. Chocolate could become George's target again, and also Caleb, if Jordan doesn't keep his promise. And there's no way she is putting them at risk.

Hanna "Can it be from your phone? I no longer have a cell phone thanks to your psycho friend"

Jordan "Yeah… I think it will work too" he says and hands her his phone.

Hanna takes a deep breath to chill out and then finally records the message. "Hi, George. It's me, Hanna. I just picked my dog up at Mr. Hobart's and I just wanted to thank you for taking care of him…" her hand is shaky when she hands the phone back to Jordan. She can't believe what she just did. But she had to do it. "It's done"

Jordan checks on the phone that she really sent the message and then looks up at her. "Perfect. Don't you feel relieved now?" he gives her a slight smile.

Hanna shakes her head no. "Not really… I feel awful, indeed"

Jordan "Hey, you can move on now… I know it's hard, but you know the truth now. And you can be sure that no one else is going to mess with you"

Hanna ignores his words completely as she goes through her purse looking for something. A couple of seconds later, she takes a set of keys from there and puts them down on the table. "These are the keys to your apartment in New York" she says and stands up from her chair. "I was gonna leave them at your father's before, but I forgot. I don't want to see you ever again, Jordan. And just for the record, I didn't buy any of your shit. You don't give a fuck about me, you never did. You didn't come here to protect me or anything, you only wanted to get that fucking voice message from me, to cover for that shit that you have for a friend and your egocentric father, who by the way, I really hope he never gets to win any kind of election for the sake of this country. And don't you think that you are better than any of them. You are a selfish son of a bitch. You were selfish with me in every way, when it came to my career, the apartment where we lived, the time you were supposed to make to be with me, and also in bed. You are a selfish asshole… Now I can say that I feel relieved" she adds and walks away.

When she gets out of the coffee shop, Caleb is standing next to his car.

Caleb "You okay, Han?" he asks her at seeing how upset she is.

Hanna doesn't answer to his question. She only rushes over to him and hugs him.

Caleb "Should I go in there and punch that dickhead?" he asks her while hugging her back.

Hanna "No, I'm fine"

Caleb presses a kiss on her head through her hair. "You sure, baby?"

Hanna "Uh huh" she pulls away from him. "Let's go home" she goes to the other side of the car and gets in.

* * *

OMG, what a long chapter! My eyes hurt just for having been correcting it, that's the disadvantage of writing in a foreign language, you don't just write, you check every single paragraph about 10 times to make sure you didn't invent a new word, misspelled something or just wrote something that doesn't make any sense LOL. And even though I checked the whole chapter, I know that there are some mistakes that I still miss out. Anyway, I'm just saying this for you to know that that's the reason why I take longer to update sometimes, I like writing, I hate correcting :) the good thing is that I'm improving my English by writing, so it's fine I guess.

Well, I hope you like this long chapter! I'm looking forward to learning what you think about Hanna's talk with Jordan. And poor Caleb, he is always there for Hanna, even when he is annoyed.

Thanks for your reviews about the previous chapter! Have a nice week!


	29. Chapter 29

Caleb "So? What did he tell you?" he asks Hanna as he pulls away from the parking space in front of the coffee shop where she met up with Jordan.

Hanna "It was George. He hired two men to steal Chocolate from me because he thought that I would get back with Jordan at some point if I didn't have him. Basically, he wanted to make my life miserable again for me to come back"

Caleb "And who are those men? Did he tell you?"

Hanna "No, just two ex-convicts that ran away after screwing the whole thing up. Apparently, they weren't supposed to hurt me. They only had to steal Chocolate. So I guess you were right, the sedative was for Chocolate, not for me. I guess they injected me it because I didn't let go of him"

Caleb "Okay, we are going to tell all that to the police… I'm sure they will be able to track those men down, and they also will have to find a connection between George and them to prove his guilt as well"

Hanna "I won't go to the police, Caleb"

Caleb "Why?" he glances at her and then focuses back on the road.

Hanna "I already told you. I don't want them to open any investigation. I don't want anyone else to learn about what happened to me. I don't wanna be a victim. What happened to me is embarrassing… did you notice the way people turned to look at me today at the restaurant when you said it out loud?"

Caleb "Hanna, this should be embarrassing for Jordan, George and the other two men, not for you. They have to pay for what they did"

Hanna "Jordan had nothing to do with it"

Caleb has been holding himself back for a while now, but he can't help saying what he really thinks at hearing that answer from her. "Hanna, I'm so done with you defending him. The guy is a piece of shit. If he really cared for you, he would have gotten the dog in his car and driven straight to Rosewood the moment he found him at his place. He would have gone visit you at the hospital at least. But apparently, he had more important things to do here. Like covering for his friend. It makes him just as guilty as George. Stop defending him"

Hanna "No, you stop obsessing with his guilt. I know he doesn't give a fuck about me, okay? I get it. But he did nothing, and I know the truth because of him. I don't need to go to the police because now I have the answers I needed. I no longer have to worry about someone trying to hurt me or someone I love. I won't go to the police"

Caleb "He convinced you not to go to the police, didn't he?"

Hanna "No, I told you at the hospital that I didn't want to go to the police. You made me change my mind last night when I was scared and pretty upset. But now that I can think clearer, I don't want to do it. If I talk to the police, it will only be to make them take me out of the missing people list"

Caleb "Hanna, please. Just think-"

Hanna cuts him off. "Can we not do this right now? I don't have the energy to argue about this again" she tilts her head to the side, resting against the window.

Caleb takes another look at her. He still feels frustrated about the whole situation with Jordan, he just can't believe that Hanna still listens to him after all that happened, he is mad at her for paying so much attention to what the guy says. But she looks exhausted and so he decides to leave her alone for now, they can continue their conversation later. He doesn't have the energy either after all. He falls silent and just keeps driving.

/

It's around 4 pm in the afternoon when they finally get back at Hanna's.

There's a police car parked in front of the house.

Hanna "Why are the police here?"

Caleb "I don't know… maybe they finally decided to start looking for you… a little late, huh?" he tells her while pulling in the driveway of the house.

Those are the first words that they exchange after a completely silent ride back home.

Caleb "I'll go talk to them" he says after stopping the car.

Hanna "No, I'll go" she can't let Caleb talk to the police. He could say something that he shouldn't, and she still didn't tell him about the voice message that she sent George from Jordan's phone, so she rushes out of the car.

She starts to walk toward the police car, but before she can get there, a police officer gets out of it and approaches her.

Police officer "Good afternoon. I'm looking for Hanna Marin"

Hanna "I am Hanna Marin"

Caleb gets there too and stands by her side.

Police officer "You were reported as a missing person. Did you know about it?"

Hanna "Yes, I know. It was all a misunderstanding, I'm all right. I was going to stop by at the station and clarify this today"

She looks at Caleb right after saying it, and just like she thought, his face shows disapproval, his brows bumped together in a scowl also tell her that he is irritated.

Police officer "We have been trying to contact you for a while, you should have gone to the station before"

Hanna "I know, I'm sorry"

Police officer "Can I see your ID?"

Hanna "Sure"

After searching into her purse for some seconds, Hanna takes out her ID and gives it to the police officer.

Police officer "So, what happened?" he asks her while taking a look at her ID.

Hanna "I went hiking with my dog and got lost in the woods. My phone also ran out of battery… It took me a while to get back in the town… I went to my dad's instead of meeting with my friends as we had agreed, so they got worried and reported me missing because they couldn't reach me"

At hearing that, Caleb turns around and walks back to the car to get Chocolate.

Police officer "I see" he says a couple of seconds later and hands her back the ID. "Well, tell your friends to make sure you are actually missing next time they decide to report it to the police" he says and walks back to the police car.

When Hanna turns toward the house, she sees Caleb and Chocolate waiting for her at the front door. She grabs the keys from her purse while walking there. She can see the disappointment on Caleb's face, he is very serious and his frown is still there.

She decides not to say a word, she only opens the door and they all get inside.

But Caleb is beyond annoyed, irritated and angry.

Caleb "I can't believe what you just did!" he tells her after she closes the door. "You just threw out the window the only chance you had to do something about what those jerks did to you! You just lied to the police and now you can't take it back!" his voice raises as he gets more irritated.

Hanna "Caleb, I told you exactly what I was going to do back in the car"

Caleb "No, we were supposed to talk about it again. I wasn't done with it, you asked me not to keep discussing about it at that moment and I left you alone"

Hanna "Yeah, but that police officer was already here, what was I supposed to do?"

Caleb "You could have asked him for a minute. We could have talked it through. But no, you had that stupid story about being at your dad's already in mind. You made it up in the car while coming here, didn't you? You already knew what you were going to say and you didn't give a shit about what I thought"

Hanna "It doesn't matter, Caleb. It was my decision to make, not yours. It was not your business"

Caleb "Not my business? I was the one who looked for you when you went missing. Me and the guys. We looked for you for hours. Emily and I reported you missing, we were the ones that went to the police station, but you just made us look like a couple of dumbasses that didn't even look for you before doing so. But that is not what makes me angry, because I don't care what other people think. What makes me angry is that you go around making decisions that not only affect you and you don't even take a minute to think about the consequences. All I wanted was to have the chance to talk to you before you talked to the police, and you know what? I would have respected your decision, no matter what it was"

Hanna sighs and gets closer to him. "You are right, I'm sorry" she says calmly. "But it wouldn't have changed anything, even if you had gotten to make me change my mind and tell the truth, I couldn't have done it"

Caleb stares at her, confused.

Hanna "I did a thing" she confesses and looks down to avoid his look.

Caleb "What did you do?"

Hanna "Promise me you won't get mad… try to understand me" she makes eye contact again.

Caleb "Hanna, I'm already mad. Just tell me what you did"

Hanna takes a couple of seconds before speaking. She knows that Caleb is going to get even more upset after hearing what she did, but she has to tell him the truth anyway.

Hanna "I sent George a voice message from Jordan's cell phone telling him that I had just picked Chocolate up at Mr. Hobart and I also thanked him for taking care of him"

Caleb "You what?" he asks perplexed, his gaze fixed on her.

Hanna "Jordan asked me it as a proof that I wouldn't go to the police. It was the only way to make sure George would leave me alone for good"

Caleb "Hanna, you can't be serious!" he still can't believe her.

Hanna "It was the only way, Caleb"

Caleb "Oh my god, Hanna!" he raises his voice. "I knew he would manipulate you somehow" he takes his palms to his forehead in frustration. "I knew" he looks at her. "I shouldn't have let you go see him"

Hanna "It wasn't like that. I wasn't going to go to the police anyway. The moment you told me that Chocolate was at Jordan's father's, I knew I couldn't involve the police in all this. He didn't manipulate me, he was just right and-"

Caleb "You know what? I don't want to hear you anymore. I'm done with all this shit" he says and starts to walk away. If he hears Jordan's name again, he will go crazy.

Hanna "Caleb, please" she goes after him. "Let's just-"

Caleb cuts her off. "Hanna" he turns back around to look at her. "What you did doesn't make any sense. It was stupid and I don't get it. You are smart, I don't get why you would send George that message. Even if you weren't planning to go to the police, you didn't have to do it. You didn't need to prove anything to anyone. They hurt you. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry, but I am done and I don't feel like talking about this anymore. I need some space right now. Just leave me alone"

He knows that if he doesn't walk away from her at that very moment, the argument will only grow bigger and he doesn't want to end up yelling at Hanna. He doesn't want to lose his temper and he is very close to that. He has been angry at her for hours now and it only got worse with her confession.

Hanna only nods. She has never seen Caleb that angry, but although it breaks her heart seeing him like that and she just wants to work things out right way, she understands that it's not the right moment and so she lets him go.

She is relieved when Caleb makes his way toward the back end of the house and goes out the back door that leads to the backyard instead of going out the front door. She didn't want to be left alone in her house and it makes her feel better the fact that he didn't leave. She goes upstairs, to her bedroom, and Chocolate goes with her.

/

Around half an hour later, Hanna decides to go check on Caleb. It took her a lot of self-control not to go doing so before. But half an hour is her limit. She knows that Caleb is more likely to be still angry at her, since it's only been a little time, and she also knows that it could not be the best moment to go try to sort things out with him, but that is not the reason why she is going check on him. The reason why she is going downstairs now is that she is afraid that he might have left without telling her and she doesn't want to be left alone at her house. The fact that she couldn't see the driveway from the window of her room to check if his car was still there, was driving her crazy.

She opens the back door and Chocolate immediately goes outside. She is relieved at seeing that Caleb is still there. He is sitting on a step, his back to the door, but as soon as Chocolate approaches him, he turns around and sees Hanna standing at the door frame. He only stares at her for a moment and then turns back around without saying a word. That only confirms Hanna's suspicions, he is still angry.

Hanna "Chocolate wanted to go out" she lies.

Caleb doesn't answer, so she only closes the door and goes back to her bedroom.

/

About twenty minutes after that, it starts to rain. It's just a drizzle, but Hanna gets paranoid again at thinking that Caleb could decide to go home now, so she opts to go check on him again with the excuse to get Chocolate back inside to keep him from getting wet in the rain.

But when she gets downstairs, she finds Caleb sitting on the couch in the living room. He is watching TV and Chocolate is lying on the floor next to him.

She is glad that he is still there. He still seems upset, so that's why she doesn't even get in the room and after staring at him from the hallway for a few seconds, she makes her way to the kitchen.

But Caleb gets to see her, and although he gets a lump in his throat right away, his anger is still stronger than any other emotion at the moment and so he doesn't go after her.

/

Hanna decides to stay in the kitchen, since she can hear if Caleb leaves the house from there. She thought that she would feel safer now that she knows what really happened to her, who was behind it and the reason why, but she was wrong, because there she is, all paranoid about being left alone. She decides to make dinner in order to keep her mind busy and that way, another hour passes by.

Once dinner is ready, she serves a plate of food for Caleb, puts it on a tray along with a glass of wine and takes it to him.

Hanna "I made dinner" she puts the tray on the coffee table in front of him.

Caleb "You didn't have to" he only says, softly.

Hanna "It's fine. We had to eat something" she only answers and leaves the room to go back to the kitchen to have dinner alone.

Once again, there's a part of Caleb that really wants to go after her. But he can't. He is so pissed off. He still can't believe what she did. He just doesn't get her.

/

After finishing dinner, Caleb stands up from the couch, grabs the tray and heads for the kitchen. But right before entering the room, he hears Hanna's voice and so he stops at the door frame.

She is sitting at the kitchen table, her back to him. She's talking to someone on the home phone.

Hanna "…so, I was wondering if I could stay the night at your place, in the guestroom… occupied? By whom?... Oh, Kate is in the city?... No, I'm not interested in meeting her husband… No, it's fine, dad. I get it, you have more important things to do, like always… Yes, because I am your daughter, not her… Because one of my friends was staying with me, but she had to leave… yes, I know I am an adult, but still… No, I'll figure something out, don't worry, go enjoy your evening with your new family" she says annoyed and hangs up on him.

Although Caleb feels intrigued about what he just heard, since Hanna has only mentioned her father once or twice since they met, he gets in the kitchen pretending that he didn't hear anything and places the tray on the countertop next to the sink. Then, he turns on the tap and grabs the glass to wash it.

Hanna "It's fine, just leave it there, I'll-"

Caleb "No, you made dinner, I'll do the dishes" he cuts her off.

Hanna "No, really. It's okay, I'll put it all in the dishwasher"

Caleb nods and turns the water off.

Hanna gets up from her seat and approaches him. "Can we talk now?"

Caleb "I don't want to talk, Hanna… I'm just pretty angry right now, there's no point" he walks away from her again.

/

Once Hanna is done cleaning up the kitchen, she stays there. She sits at the table again and leans forward to rest her head, using her crossed arms as a pillow. She would rather go to her bedroom and lie down, since she is pretty tired, but it's getting dark outside and it's making her anxious. She feels the need to stay close to Caleb, even if he is in another room, and she knows that if she goes upstairs, she won't be able to tell if Caleb is still there or if he left. And she is sure that he will leave at some point, he is too mad at her to stay the night. She doesn't get why he hasn't left yet, but she is thankful for that. She curses herself for not remembering any of her friends' phone numbers and also for having left her laptop back in New York, she could ask one of the girls to stay with her, but no. Suddenly, she starts to think about all her belongings that she left back in Jordan's apartment. She is sure that after everything she told him earlier before leaving the coffee shop, she will never get her things back. It's not like she had too many things there, most of them were just clothes and shoes, but there is something that she left behind that it's really important to her, her sewing machine. She didn't even use it once since she moved in with him, she is sure that it must be still in a box.

Caleb's hand on her shoulder brings her back to reality and she sits up straight to look at him.

Caleb "You've got a text from your mom" he hands her his phone.

Hanna "I'm sorry. I'll get a new phone tomorrow" she grabs the phone and yawns.

Caleb "It's okay"

Hanna types on the phone for a moment, and after texting her mom back, she hands it back to Caleb.

Caleb "Why don't you go to bed?" he suggests her at seeing her tiredness.

Hanna "I'm fine"

Caleb "I won't leave, okay? Go to sleep"

Hanna stares at him.

After hearing Hanna's conversation with her father, Caleb got right away why she had been keeping an eye on him since their argument. She didn't want to be left alone. But it was never in his plans to leave. If the circumstances were different, he would have probably left her place the moment she told her about what she had done, but she isn't okay yet and he won't just leave her alone, no matter how irritated he feels being around her at the moment, he won't leave.

Caleb "I'll sleep on the couch. Don't worry, I won't leave you alone"

Hanna "I don't want you to stay"

Caleb looks at her confused.

Hanna "You are angry with me, you don't want to be with me. I don't want you to feel obliged to stay with me"

Caleb turns around and leaves the kitchen.

Hanna's heart races at hearing the front door. Is he really leaving just like that? If that is the case, she needs to ask him Emily's or Spencer's phone number before he takes off. She rushes to the door, but when she gets there, she sees Caleb taking his bag from the trunk of his car and then walk back toward the house.

Caleb "I'm not leaving you alone" he says as he gets back inside.

Hanna closes the door and looks at him. "You don't have to do this, I can call-"

Caleb "I'm not leaving" he repeats and heads for the living room.

Hanna goes after him. "Okay, but… stay in the guestroom at least. You don't have to sleep on the couch"

Caleb only nods as an answer.

Chocolate gets there too, carrying his dog bowl in his mouth and he approaches Hanna.

Hanna "Oh, I'm sorry, baby. I forgot your dinner" she gives him a half smile while taking the bowl form his mouth. "Come here" she tells him and they leave the living room.

/

Later.

Hanna is already in bed when she hears Caleb getting out of the bathroom and then sees him getting in the guestroom. She left the door of her bedroom open, but Caleb closes his door.

Hanna sighs and turns the bedside lamp off to try to go to sleep. But of course, her mind has other plans for her and her thoughts keep her awake. She can't stop wondering why Caleb is that mad at her. Of course he has many reasons to be upset, but she doesn't understand why so much anger. He doesn't want talk to her. He doesn't even want to be in the same room as her.

Shortly after, Chocolate shows up in her bedroom.

Hanna "Come here, Chocolate" she orders him while tapping the mattress next to her.

Chocolate jumps on the bed and lies down next to her. Hanna gets closer to him and hugs him right away, and just like always, she gets to go to sleep thanks to him. He helps her to chill out.

/

At some point in the night, Hanna wakes up startled at hearing a loud noise. She sits up immediately, her heart beating very fast, and takes a look around into the darkness. It's Chocolate, he just jumped off the bed and bumped into some object on the floor that Hanna can't distinguish. She sees him leave the bedroom and then lies back down to try to go to sleep again. But by waking her up so abruptly, Chocolate just left her in a state of alert that doesn't allow her to relax. She is so tense and anxious that taking deep breaths is not enough to chill out, not even a little. She knows that she should feel okay now that she knows that she and Chocolate are not in danger, that no one will get back to finish the job, but still, for some reason she doesn't feel as safe as she has always felt in her house. After a while of trying to calm down, she finally gets up from her bed to go to Caleb. She just hopes that he doesn't turn her away.

As soon as she goes out of her bedroom, she finds Chocolate lying on the hallway floor next to the door of the guestroom. Of course, he must have sniffed Caleb in there.

Hanna gets emotional while recalling why she ended up alone in her bed in the first place. She screwed up again as she always does. She doesn't regret what she did. She still thinks that she only did what was necessary to make sure that the whole thing with George was finished for good. But she does regret the way she handled it all with Caleb. It seems like she always finds a way to ruin the best things in her life.

Some tears start to roll down on her cheeks and she decides not to bother Caleb. Instead of that, she sits down on the floor next to Chocolate and leans on him. While resting her head on Chocolate's body she promises herself that she will do whatever it takes to work things out with Caleb the next morning. He won't be just another good thing in her life that she ruins. After shedding some more tears, she falls back asleep right there on the floor, hugging Chocolate.

/

But Hanna is not the only one who is having another shitty night, because although Caleb fell asleep as soon as he rested his head on the pillow, since he was beyond tired after two nights of bad sleep, now he wakes up from a nightmare. His heart is pounding with adrenaline and It takes him some time to realize where he is, but when he does, he knows right away that he just had another bad dream like the ones he had the previous night. He rolls over to lie on his stomach and tries to go back to sleep. But he has a nagging sensation in the back of his mind that keeps him awake. He is worried about Hanna. He knows that she is sleeping comfortably in her bed in the room right across the hallway, and that he had just another absurd dream, but still, he needs to go check on her. Seeing her all right is the only way to shut his mind and go back to sleep, so he gets up from the bed.

When he opens the door, he gets surprised at finding Chocolate and Hanna right there at the door.

Chocolate gets up from the floor as soon as he sees Caleb, because being a dog, he is always on alert. But Hanna, being deep asleep with her torso and head rested on Chocolate, just falls off him and wakes up startled again.

Caleb "Han, what are you doing here?" he asks her as Chocolate makes his way into the guestroom.

Hanna sits up against the wall. She blinks twice but says nothing. She's still half asleep.

Caleb "You okay?" he crouches down in front of her.

Hanna "Yeah… I just…" she gets embarrassed now at realizing that she was just sleeping on the floor at his door. "Chocolate was lying here and I… I came with him and I guess I just fell asleep"

Caleb stares at her for a moment but then he stands up and offers his hand to her. "Come on, let's go to bed"

Hanna takes his hand and so he helps her up. Once she is back on her feet, Caleb pulls from their joined hands to lead her into the guestroom, but Hanna lets go of his hand.

Caleb looks at her confused.

Hanna "I don't want to bother you. I'll just go back to my room"

Caleb "You don't bother me…"

He is not sure if he got a little emotional after his bad dream or if that little rest that he got helped him to cool off, but he is definitely less angry than before. Although the annoyance is still there and it seems like it won't go away any time soon.

Caleb "Come on" he says again, and this time, Hanna follows him into the room, because that's what she wanted in the first place, be closer to him.

Chocolate is lying on the floor, probably because it's cooler than the bed and being a hairy dog, he gets hot very easily. So, when Hanna and Caleb get in the bed, there's still a considerable space between their bodies.

Caleb lies on his side, facing away, his back to Hanna. And Hanna lies on her back.

After staring at the ceiling into the darkness for a while, Hanna decides to talk to Caleb. She hates being like that with him.

Hanna "Caleb?" she says softly, just in case he fell asleep.

But of course, he is awake too, wide awake.

Caleb "Huh?" he mumbles, without turning to her.

Hanna "I know it's late… but I hate being like this with you, can we talk?"

Caleb "I don't want to talk" he answers right away, but not in an angry way like earlier, it sounds softer, like sadly, or maybe like he has given up and thinks that there's no point in talking. And Hanna notices it, but she is not sure what it is.

Hanna "Okay… just let me tell you how sorry I am at least" she reaches out and places her palm on his shoulder. "Turn around, please"

Although he is not in the mood yet, Caleb turns to face her because he is intrigued about what she is going to tell him. He barely sees her face in the dark.

Hanna "I'm sorry" she places her hand on his cheek and caresses him.

Caleb "For what exactly?"

Hanna "For everything?"

Caleb "Hanna, you don't even know what you are apologizing for" he takes her hand off of his face. "I'm pretty sure you don't know why I'm so pissed off because you just don't get it"

Hanna "No, I do know" she says, although she is not so sure, because she doesn't consider that anything she did was bad enough for him to be that much angry. But maybe it was the sum total of everything she did during the day. That could be, right? It must be. "You didn't like that I met with Jordan, I also left you out when I lied to the police, and then, the voice message that I sent to George, which I don't regret, but I understand that you-"

Caleb "No, not even close" he cuts her off because what she is saying is just irritating him again and he doesn't want to go back to the unbearable anger that he was feeling a while ago.

Hanna "Well, so how am I supposed to know what pisses you off so much if you don't want to talk about it? Just talk to me"

Caleb doesn't answer, so Hanna goes on.

Hanna "You are still mad at me, I get it" she sits up in the bed. "I'll just go back to my bed"

She is about to get up, but Caleb reaches out and grabs her wrist to stop her.

Caleb "Don't leave. I want you to stay"

Hanna stays sitting there in the bed so he lets go of her wrist.

Caleb "I'm not used to these things, Hanna… I don't go around talking about my feelings. I'm not like that"

Hanna lies back down. "So, how are we working this out?"

Caleb "I'll stop being annoyed at some point. I was pretty angry today, but it's getting better…"

Hanna "Yeah… but still"

They both fall silent. Hanna because she just doesn't want to say something wrong that could annoy Caleb even more, and Caleb because he just doesn't know what else to say. He simply has nothing else to say.

He can't help thinking about the last time they shared that very same bed in her guestroom. It was that night when his house got flooded and Hanna made him stay there. Actually, it was the first time they ever shared a bed. It hasn't been so long since that, but he feels like it's been months. He still remembers how upset Hanna was when she got in the room looking for Chocolate, and how bad he wanted to comfort her. She was weeping and he wanted to hold her. When he had the chance, he did hug her. And to his surprise, she hugged him back. He also remembers the disappointment he felt when he asked her what was going on and she told him that she had had a fight with fucking Jordan. She was trying to save her relationship back then, she was even planning to marry him, and Caleb wasn't sure why the fuck he was letting himself get closer and closer to her, but he just couldn't help it. He just felt good around her. Hanna ended up getting in the bed with him, Chocolate in the middle, of course. She felt much better in only a few minutes and so they started to talk about random things, and somehow, they even ended up talking about love. About how much he sucked at love precisely, although Hanna refused to believe so. He can't recall exactly what they ended up talking about at the end, but he does remember Hanna laughing and holding his hand. He felt so fucking good at that moment. He wanted her so bad. But there was a ring on her finger. It was the only thing keeping him from making a move on her.

He gets emotional at thinking that they are almost in the same situation now, but what keeps him away from her now is his own annoyance. And hurt, there's hurt too. He blinks back tears because he refuses to cry right there in front of her. He never cries. He hardly remembers being crying when he was a little boy. Even when he was only a kid, he didn't find the point in crying, he had no one to come comfort him anyway. If it weren't for his grandpa's death a year ago, he wouldn't remember the last time he actually shed tears. Fortunately for him, the darkness in the room won't allow Hanna to see his glassy eyes.

He is not mad at her for meeting up with Jordan although he wasn't okay with it. He is hurt because she got annoyed and accused him of being jealous and being trying to tell her what to do instead of taking a moment to understand that he was only trying to protect her. And he is also hurt because of the way she manipulated him. She knew he wouldn't come back to Rosewood without her and she took advantage of that to make him do what she wanted in DC.

So, that's why he didn't want her to apologize for meeting up with Jordan despite him, he wanted her to apologize for the way she took advantage of his love and worry to make him do what she wanted.

He is not mad at her for having left him out of her decision when she lied to the police, he is hurt because she didn't take a minute to think why he was being so insisting on doing right the opposite and tell them the truth. It was very hard for him to find her in the middle of the woods, looking like dead. And she doesn't even know it because she wasn't there, she was barely conscious and too lost to even know where she was, so she doesn't know how bad it all was. She doesn't even have a clue of how hard it was for him to sit in the waiting room of the hospital waiting for news as the doctors examined her. He still can't recover from all that. All he has done is try to stay strong for her, to be able to be there for her. If she had told the truth to the police, she might have been able to get a restraining order against Jordan and George at least. That would have been good for both of them. But she didn't even listen to him.

He didn't want her to apologize for lying to the police knowing that he didn't agree with that, he only wanted her to listen to him the way she listened to Jordan before. It was okay with him if after talking, she lied to the police anyway. He only wanted to be heard.

And yes, Hanna was right about him being angry for the voice message that she sent to George. It made him furious. He doesn't understand why she made such a stupid decision. Because even though she wasn't planning to go to the police anyway, she didn't have to do it. It feels like she let that son of a bitch win. She gave him what he wanted.

By the time Caleb can't hold his tears back anymore, Hanna is asleep again. Being closer to him, in the same bed, made her feel much safer and so she fell asleep. Even if he wasn't holding her in his arms as she would have liked.

Caleb watches her as he cries in silence. He wants to stop his tears but he just can't. Fuck, he hates crying. Now he gets why people say that love hurts. He is freaking crying for love. Something he never thought he would do. It hurts so much. He hates the unbearable pain in his chest.

All of a sudden, Hanna mumbles something in her sleep that Caleb can't decipher and then she rolls over and ends up very close to him, almost against his body. She is so close to him that while breathing, he can smell her rich scent. She mumbles something else, he can tell now that she is only whispering sweet nothings in her sleep, and then, just like that, still deep asleep, she curls up against him and her body seems to relax completely when it comes in touch with Caleb's.

Before he can know it, his lips are already pressed against her forehead and his arm is wrapped around her waist to keep her close. Despite everything, his love for her is way stronger than anything else. If hurt is the price that he has to pay for her love, he will take it. Anything is better than the emptiness he felt before meeting her. And hopefully, after getting through this hard time, things will get better for them. He knows she didn't mean to hurt him.

Shortly after that, Caleb falls asleep as well.

* * *

Hi guys :) I know this chapter is not one of the best, but I promise that the next one will be better. These things need to happen. Let's see how Hanna reacts... she needs to look after Caleb a little more. Thanks for your reviews. Hope you are having a nice weekend!


	30. Chapter 30

Morning after.

Hanna wakes up first. She smiles even before opening her eyes at feeling Caleb's breathing against her forehead. She tilts her head up and is about to kiss his lips when she recalls all the events from the previous day and decides against it. She finally opens her eyes. She is not sure how they ended up cuddling together and even though his arm is around her waist, his grip is loose and she doesn't know if he meant to put his arm there, or if it just ended up there by chance during the night.

Anyway, she is determined to fix things with Caleb that same morning, no matter what. But first, she needs a shower, so she gets up from the bed being as quiet as possible and then slips out of the room to let Caleb sleep a little longer. And although Chocolate does hear her and looks at her, he feels too lazy to get up and so he stays in there with Caleb.

/

An hour later, Hanna is dressed up and with her make-up done. She is not only determined to work things out with Caleb, but also to have a better day than the ones she has had lately. She wants to go back to normal and looking good has always improved her mood a lot.

And besides looking good, she also needs a trip to the mall to get a new cell phone and maybe some other things, and for that, she knows who the best companion would be: Mona. She's always been her shopping partner when they were in high school, and most importantly, she doesn't know about everything she just went through in the last days, so she won't ask questions or feel sorry for her.

But she needs to find a way to reach her. After thinking for a little while, a good option pops into her mind. She knows that her mom must have left her old laptop somewhere in the house, most probably in the main bedroom. After going through her mom's stuff for a while, she finds the laptop, sits on the bed, logs into Facebook and sends a message to Mona.

/

Hanna goes downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast. After taking a look in the cabinets and in the fridge, she realizes that she is running out of groceries and should probably make a stop at the store later as well. She settles for simple toasts and coffee and after putting the slices of bread in the toaster, she makes her way to the staircase to go wake Caleb up. But before she can climb a step, Chocolate shows up and goes down the stairs.

Hanna "Hi, buddy" she greets the dog with a smile as he approaches her for some caresses. "Wanna go outside?" she asks him while petting his head. She knows that Chocolate needs his morning pee, so she goes let him outside.

Then she goes back to the kitchen, because if Chocolate finally got up, it means that Caleb is up too and so she decides to just wait for him there.

And indeed, only a few minutes later, Caleb shows up over there. Hanna is pouring the coffee, facing the kitchen counter and he is barefoot, so she doesn't hear him come. He is also shirtless, only wearing sweatpants, and his hair is messy, since he just woke up and only stopped by at the bathroom before going downstairs.

Caleb "Hey" he greets her briefly.

Hanna turns around right away. "Hey" she greets him back and can't help but smile a little at the sight in front of her. He is just too hot and she is not sure if she will ever get over his shirtless torso. "Morning" she adds then and forces her gaze up from his abs to look at his face. And when she does so, she finds his eyes fixed on her too.

He is staring at her. She can't decipher him. His face is serious but she can't tell if he is still upset or if his serious expression is only due to the fact that he just woke up. What she doesn't know is that what caught his attention are her red lips. Just as simple as that. He is still sleepy and finding her all dressed up just captured his attention. He finally reacts and focusing on her eyes, he gives her a soft smile too.

Hanna "How did you sleep?" she asks him, making some conversation, trying to figure out his mood.

But instead of answering to her question, Caleb approaches her and before she knows it, his strong bare arms are around her and he is pulling her to him. Her eyes close automatically as she relaxes in his embrace and squeezes him back, not wanting the moment to end. Every single time he hugs her, she feels like everything around her melts away, the whole world, and nothing else matters. His hugs are addictive. If they could only live in each other's arms forever…

But they can't, and as much as she loves being held by him, Hanna knows that they still have to work things out. Well, actually, she has to do so. Because she was the only one that screwed up. Caleb did nothing wrong.

Hanna is about to pull away from him, but before she can force herself to do so, Caleb takes one of his hands to her hair and moves it back, clearing her neck so he can have better access to her soft skin there. Hanna's mind goes blank at feeling Caleb's lips kissing her neck in such a sweet way. His lips' move is so delicate and feels so good that she even tilts her head to the opposite side to let him go on. She is sunk in the pleasant moment. But when Caleb tightens his grip around her waist, pulls her up and places her on the countertop, she reacts and takes one of her hands to his face to push him away from her neck gently.

Hanna "Caleb…"

Caleb "Don't you want this?" he says softly and crashes his lips against her skin again, but this time on her jawline.

Hanna "I do, but…" she closes her eyes and enjoys his kisses again for a few seconds.

Right when he is about to get to her mouth, she pulls away and takes both her hands to his face this time.

Hanna "We can't pretend yesterday didn't happen, babe… we need to talk" she tells him softly while staring into his eyes.

Caleb "I don't want to talk"

He is about to pull away from her, but Hanna, still sitting on the kitchen counter, wraps her legs around his waist to stop him.

Hanna "It's okay, you don't have to talk" she also wraps her arms around his neck to keep him close and places a tender kiss on his cheek. "Let's just have breakfast and I'll talk… I have some things to tell you…"

Caleb gives her a concerned look.

Hanna "It's not about something else that I fucked up, I promise… it's just about us… I would like to tell you some things… things that I feel I should have said earlier"

Caleb only nods and rests his palms on her thighs.

It's funny how she is asking him to listen to her now when all he wanted from her the day before was exactly the same, but she was too stubborn to hear him out. And she also ignored the few things that he managed to suggest her. But Caleb is not resentful and he would never refuse to listen to her just because she didn't pay attention to him in the first place. And although his anger faded away during the night, he still feels hurt and that's another reason to listen to Hanna now. There's no way that he is going to tell her how he really feels, because he ended up shedding tears the previous night just by thinking about it and that's why he refuses to talk it out with her. He hates feeling weak and he wants to keep it to himself. But listening to her could help him to feel better. He hopes so.

Hanna "Hey" she whispers and makes him look at her.

He didn't realize, but he got lost in his thoughts and ended up looking down, absent-minded.

Hanna gives him a smile. "You okay?"

Caleb "Yeah…" he shoots her a slight, but still honest smile. "let's have breakfast then…"

Hanna "Okay, but first…" she says and connects their mouths in a tender kiss.

They kiss slowly, caressing each other's lips just like Hanna's hands caress his hair softly and Caleb's hands stroke her back gently. And although they add their tongues at some point, it's still a relaxed kiss. It's not one of those kisses that lead to sex, it feels more like a comforting kiss that they both needed after the hard previous day they had.

Caleb "Why are you so dressed up this early?" he asks her after breaking the kiss.

Hanna "It's not early… it's like 11:30" she answers while unwrapping her arms and legs from him.

Caleb grabs the cups of coffee from the countertop next to them and takes them to the table where Hanna placed the toasts before. "Well, I mean, it's barely the morning… you have plans already?" he sits down on a chair.

Hanna "Yeah, I'm going to the mall with Mona…" she gets off the kitchen counter and goes sit at the table as well.

Caleb takes a sip of coffee and then he speaks again. "Emily texted me last night, she wanted to know if Chocolate was back with us already"

Hanna only nods and grabs a toast. "I'm sorry about the shitty breakfast… I had literally nothing else… no jam, no eggs…" she says as she butters the toast and then hands it to Caleb.

Caleb "It's fine" he gives her a smile. "Emily also told me that she wanted to see you… well, that all the guys wanted to see you… maybe we can get together tonight… it can be at my place, we can order something for dinner"

Hanna "Uh huh…" she just says, focused on buttering another toast for herself. "We will see, it's barely the morning" she adds then and takes a bite.

They fall silent for a while as they eat their toasts and taste their coffees, but then Hanna looks at him and breaks the silence.

Hanna "So… you are no longer angry with me?"

Caleb looks up at her too. It's not anger what he feels. It's something else… like hurt, disappointment. But he was perfectly fine just a second ago, before her question, he only feels that way while thinking of everything that happened the day before. He doesn't get why she is so insistent on bringing it all back up.

Caleb "It's not anger… but really, it's fine, Hanna. Just leave it alone. We will be fine, I really don't want to talk. I thought you wanted to tell me some-"

Hanna "Yeah, I know, I know…" she interrupts him. "Sorry, I was just asking…" she reaches out and takes his hand. "I know I'm lucky you are even talking to me… I screwed up really bad yesterday"

Caleb doesn't say a word. He just lets her go on.

Hanna "But I won't apologize for what I did. Because I don't regret anything. I don't regret having listened to Jordan, I don't regret the message I sent to George and I don't regret lying to the police officer because I had a reason to do those things"

Caleb only looks at her expectantly. He has no idea where she is going. But at least, she is not apologizing just because, like she did the night before. She seems more sincere now.

Hanna "But I do regret the way I pulled you around… I knew you would be there for me and I kinda… took you for granted. So that's what I want to apologize for. I'm sorry, babe… I told you that I would meet up with Jordan with or without you knowing that you would stick around anyway"

Caleb nods. She is finally getting why he got so pissed off.

Hanna "I also want to explain you why I was so convinced about lying to the police that I didn't even listen to you before doing so… I know that if we had talked it through in the car while coming here, I could have explained this to you then and maybe you wouldn't have felt that I left you out, or that I didn't care about what you thought. I'm sorry for that too"

Caleb gives her a slight smile. She definitely got his point.

Hanna "Remember that night at the Radley Hotel? When we were there just talking about life while having drinks?"

Caleb nods again. He loved that night, they had a great time together… although she got drunk and treated him like shit later when they went to the hotel room. Anyway, after that, she went back to being sweet and cute, and once again, they ended up sharing the bed. He still can't believe how he managed to hold himself back that night.

Hanna "That night I told you that I felt… like my life was paused… that I was stuck… that I didn't have a job, that I couldn't focus on my career because I was always traveling, going here and there, and that I also needed a new place to move in because of Chocolate, and stuff…"

Caleb "Yeah… and that your wedding was on pause too and that you also wanted to be a young mother but you would settle for babysitting Spencer's baby for now"

Hanna grins, she loves the way Caleb remembers everything she tells him. "Yeah… well, I want to do something about it now. I still feel that way and I'm done feeling stuck"

She looks down at their joined hands and starts to caress his palm with her thumb. But then, all of a sudden, she looks back up at him with her eyes wide open.

Hanna "OMG! Don't freak out, I'm not telling you that I want a baby already. I'm talking about my career, I want a job in fashion" she clears it up immediately.

Caleb laughs and squeezes her hand. "I know, silly. Don't worry, I wasn't going to run away or something"

Hanna smiles at him again. "And well, I also want to find my own place to live alone again, I can't stay here with my mom forever… But I need the job first. Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that I want to move on. And I know you are going to tell me again that George and the other guys should pay for what they did to me. But I really don't care. I couldn't care less about Jordan, his father, George and the other two men. I want to forget it all and go on with my life. And telling the truth to the police wasn't going to let me do so"

Caleb "Han, if you had told the police what really happened, you could have asked for a restriction order at least. And you could still go on with your life, feeling safer… We still can do something about it. We can go to the station and tell the police that you lied because you were scared and that the voice message that you-"

Hanna "Babe, I haven't finished yet" she interrupts him. "That is not where I want to put my energy. I won't involve the police in this because once you report something, you can't take it back. It could turn into weeks and weeks of court battle between George and me and the press would be in the middle. It could become a whole scandal and George is more likely to win the war. So no, there's no way I'm changing my mind"

Caleb "Han, you have all the proofs in your favor" he says and takes another sip of coffee.

Hanna "Okay, let's suppose that you are right and George ends up, I don't know, in jail, and the other guys too, all locked up… it still wouldn't make me feel any better. I want to put my energy into the things that make me happy. If I can move on and build a life for myself here in Rosewood, then I'll feel that I won"

Caleb "Why did you send George that message, Han? I swear, I have been thinking about it a lot. I've been trying to understand why you would do such a thing. But it just doesn't make any sense"

Hanna "Because I thought that if I wasn't going to go to the police anyway, sending him that message wouldn't make any difference. I gave him what he wanted for him to leave me alone. I won't lie, I felt horrible the moment I recorded that message. But I thought I would feel safer when I came back home… that's why I did it, to feel safer"

Caleb "Mmm… but it didn't work, did it?"

Hanna looks down. "No, I guess it didn't…" she can't deny it. They both know that she was too clingy to him the previous night because she felt unsafe.

Caleb "And don't you feel that you let them win by sending that message? Because I feel that you let them get away with it by doing so"

Hanna shakes her head no. "No… well, George might think that he won, but I'm pretty sure that karma will catch up with him soon. And if not, his full of crap life is already pathetic… Anyway, I don't care" she shrugs. "I feel that I'm the one who won. I know I'll get better with time… and I have you, Chocolate, my family and my friends and that's all I care about. I really want to move on"

Caleb "I still think that you shouldn't have sent that message… but I understand you better now…"

Hanna "It's okay, I guess we don't have to agree with everything always…"

Caleb "No, of course not"

There's a moment of silence. Caleb feels much better after listening to Hanna. He understands her now. He doesn't agree with everything she did, but he completely gets her. And just like he told her the day before, he will respect her decisions. And he really appreciates her apologies.

Hanna "So… will you forgive me?" she breaks the silence and Caleb looks at her.

Caleb "I already forgave you last night when you pretended to be asleep to cuddle with me" he knows that she was actually asleep, but he is just teasing her a little.

Hanna chuckles. "What?"

Caleb "Nothing, come here" he pulls from her hand and Hanna gets up from her chair and goes sit on his lap.

He embraces her waist and Hanna smiles while pressing a kiss to his temple, resting one of her arms on his shoulders and placing her other hand against his bare chest. Caleb tilts his head up, looking for her lips but Hanna moves her face away while grinning.

Hanna "I'm not done talking yet"

Since she faced away, he goes straight to her neck instead. He knows that it is a weak point of hers. Kissing her neck almost worked out for him earlier when he wanted to avoid talking.

Caleb "Mmm... really? What is left to talk about?"

Hanna "I know what you are trying to do" she giggles because of the tickling. "But it's fine, I still can talk to you… so unless you cover your ears, you are gonna have to listen to me"

Caleb raises his head from her neck and looks at her. "Fine, what is it?"

Hanna "Didn't tell you to stop" she gives him a playful smile and pulls him back to her neck.

Caleb smiles amused against her skin and gets back to kissing her neck.

Hanna closes her eyes and smiles again while giving into the pleasant sensation. She takes her hand to his nape and starts to stroke his hair.

Hanna "I was thinking about us like a lot last night… and I realized something…" she starts to say at some point. "I never thanked you for everything you did for me… you were the one who found out that I was missing. You looked for me, you found me and then you put me out of danger. You brought me back home. And I never thanked you for all that… so, thank you, baby"

Caleb tightens his grip around her, pressing her body against him even more, but both her legs are hanging on the same side so that keeps him from having her as much close as he would like. It would be easier if she were straddling him.

Caleb "You don't have to thank me for anything" he places one more kiss on her neck and then looks up at her. "Anyone would have done the same" he says, although he really appreciates her thanks.

Hanna shakes her head. "Not anyone" she whispers while staring into his eyes.

She knows that if Caleb hadn't been there, her friends would have realized that she was missing at some point and they would have probably found a way to get to her too. If her mom was in Rosewood, she would have too. But Caleb's timing was perfect. If she had depended on the man she was planning to marry just a month ago, she surely would have woken up alone in the woods, lost, unable to move… she would have been lying there until her body started to work again and she would have had to find a way to get back home on her own. The whole thing would have been way more traumatizing. So, she needs to tell Caleb how much it means to her what he did.

Hanna "Really, thank you" she says again, with her palms cupping his cheeks. "You got there just in time. I was still confused as fuck, but I was starting to feel scared and cold and hearing your voice was just great… and the way you held my hand the whole time at the hospital, it meant the world to me… you kept me from breaking down... My whole body was paralyzed, I would have gone crazy if I hadn't had you. You made me feel that everything was going to be okay and I just trusted you. Thank you"

Caleb gives her a smile. He is very glad that he listened to her. He feels so much better now, and he didn't even need to tell her how hurt he felt the previous day. She found her own way to fix it all herself. Also, he wasn't expecting such thanks. Those very honest words from her make him feel so much valued too.

Caleb "I would do anything for you" he only responds. His words are very honest as he looks into her eyes as well.

Hanna "I know you would" she says softly before leaning in to connect her mouth to his.

And this kiss is more passionate than the one they shared before their talk. Probably because Caleb wants to show Hanna what she is making him feel by telling him all those things and so he gives his all in that kiss. And Hanna kisses him back the same way, holding his face in her hands and tilting her head a little so they can have a good angle to enjoy themselves.

Caleb keeps his hands on her lower back, but then he takes one of them to one of her legs, to the thigh of hers that is pressed against his stomach and breaks the kiss a moment to speak.

Caleb "Move this leg to the other side, babe" he needs to feel her closer, he wants her to straddle him.

Hanna pecks his lips once more before standing up from his lap. "Okay, but just for a moment. Mona is picking me up in a little while" she sits back on him, but this time straddling him just like he told her. "Only kisses, okay?" she tells him while taking his face in her hands again.

Now that she is sitting like he wanted, Caleb wraps his arms around her and presses her body against his.

Caleb "Mmm… why don't you tell Mona not to come?" he suggests and joins their lips together again.

Hanna "Because I need a new phone" she smiles against his lips and kisses him back.

Caleb "I'll buy you ten phones" he says into the kiss and takes one of his hands to her butt. "Stay with me" he gives her a squeeze.

Hanna can't help pulling a little away to laugh. "Sounds tempting but I need to go out and you need to go home and take care of your stuff…" She grabs his hand from her butt and moves it back up to her back. "Call your contractor and get that pool in your backyard ready before summer ends… and the hot tub too… I already have a few ideas for us to enjoy them"

Caleb raises an eyebrow while shooting her an amused smile. "Really? You do?"

Hanna "Uh huh" she only answers and resumes the kissing.

Of course she would prefer to stay with Caleb rather than go out with Mona. But that's why she made plans with her before talking to Caleb. She knew she wouldn't contact Mona if they made up first. And she really wants Caleb to have some time to himself. She wants him to go home and take care of himself because all he has been doing the last days is taking care of her. She wants to give him a break from herself.

Some minutes later, they are still kissing when the doorbell rings. Caleb can feel Hanna's body become tense in his arms at hearing the sound and she pulls away from his lips abruptly. He can tell that the doorbell made her a bit nervous.

Caleb "I'll get it" he tells her softly and places a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Hanna shakes her head. "It must be Mona. I'll go" she forces a smile and gets up from his lap. "You should go get dressed, babe… put a t-shirt on"

Hanna goes to the front door and Caleb goes after her. She takes a look through the door peephole just to make sure. "It's Mona" she says and instead of just opening the door right then, she turns around to look at Caleb.

Caleb "Okay… I'll go change, then… should I stay upstairs?"

Hanna looks at him confused. "Why?"

Caleb "I don't know… maybe you don't want Mona to see me here just yet? I mean, you just broke up with Jordan and-"

Hanna "No" she cuts him off. "It's not that" she shoots him a smile. "It's just that you are half naked and Mona likes you… she thinks you are hot. And I'm not giving her the pleasure of seeing you shirtless, that's all" she brushes her hand down his abs.

Caleb chuckles. "How do you know? Were you guys talking about me?" he asks amused and intrigued.

Hanna "She asked me if you were single at her birthday party… I told her that you were taken"

Caleb "You lied" he gives her an amused smile.

Hanna shrugs. "You are taken now, so… it's almost the same… Go get dressed and then come say hi" she gets closer to him to peck his lips and right when their mouths touch, the doorbell rings again, so Hanna pulls away and Caleb finally goes upstairs.

Mona "Hey, you!" she greets Hanna excitedly and pulls her into a hug.

Hanna "Hey, Mona!" she greets her back, trapped in her tight embrace.

Mona "Thought would be back in New York by now, I got so excited when I got your message today!" she says and finally lets go of Hanna.

Hanna only shoots her a kind smile and moves aside so Mona can get inside.

Mona "So, why are you still in Rosewood? Where's Jordan?" she asks while stepping into the house.

Hanna "We broke up. I'm staying here for good" she tells her and closes the front door.

Mona "Oh… I'm sorry"

Hanna "It's fine. I'm okay, I'm happy" she smiles.

Mona "Good" She smiles back. "So, go get your purse and let's go. You can update me on our way to the mall"

Hanna "Mmm… Actually, I can't leave just yet… I'm not alone, Caleb is here… he's upstairs. He is about to leave, let's wait-"

Mona "Caleb?" she interrupts her right away and Hanna can see the amusement on her face.

Hanna "Yeah… Caleb" she can't help smiling.

Mona laughs. "You wasted no time" she says, not in a judgmental way, just amused.

Hanna "Yeah, it just happened… we are dating" she tells her, still with a smile on her face. Being able to talk only about the good things going on in her life with someone feels really good. Hanna is convinced that reaching Mona was a very good decision. She almost feels normal again.

Mona "So you were already dating him at my party?"

Hanna "No… well…"

She doesn't want to tell Mona that her very first kiss with Caleb was at her birthday party because Mona is too extra when it comes to those things and Hanna knows that she is going to remind her that her first kiss with Caleb was at her freaking Camp Mona every time she has the chance, as if it were an achievement of hers. She can picture Mona making a toast at her wedding and mentioning it.

Mona "So?" She asks and brings Hanna back from her thoughts.

Hanna chuckles at the silly thought of her wedding. The last thing she wants at the moment is thinking about weddings. Fuck weddings.

Hanna "No, we hadn't even kissed yet… but I already liked him"

Mona "So you lied to me when you told me that he was taken?" she asks still amused.

Hanna "Yeah, I did" she admits it with no problem. "I really liked him"

Mona laughs. "You could have just told me that. I wasn't going to make a move on him knowing that you liked him. Even if you were still with Jordan"

Hanna gives her a smile. Mona can be crazy as fuck, but she is a good friend. "So, what about you?"

Mona sighs. "My love life sucks"

Hanna "Weren't you seeing Noel?"

Mona "Yeah… but it's just that… we are just hooking up… and he hasn't been texting me much lately… I think he is losing his interest in me…"

Hanna "Oh… I'm sure you will find someone better than him" she shoots Mona another kind smile. "Well, I'll go rush Caleb a little" she says and heads for the stairs.

Mona chuckles. "Make sure you don't delay him more instead"

Hanna goes to the guestroom and finds Caleb sitting on the edge of the bed, putting his shoes on. She goes sit down next to him.

Hanna "Wanna take Chocolate with you?"

Caleb "If that's okay with you, sure"

Hanna "Yeah, I won't be home anyway"

Caleb nods and sits up straight after finishing with his shoes. Hanna gets closer and gives him a tender kiss on his mouth.

Hanna "I'll go get Chocolate. Hurry up, Mona is waiting for us down there" she stands up from the bed.

Caleb "So, you already told her about us?"

Hanna "Yeah, of course I did" she says while leaving the room.

/

Caleb gets downstairs shortly after. Hanna, Mona and Chocolate are standing at the front door.

Caleb "Hi, Mona"

Mona "Hey, Caleb" she greets him back with a smile and stares at him as he approaches Hanna.

Caleb "Text me as soon as you get your new phone, okay?" he tells Hanna and hands her a little paper with his phone number written on it.

Hanna nods and he places his palms on her hips.

Caleb "Call me if you need anything" he says while staring into her eyes, making sure that she gets what he really means.

He wants to make sure she knows that she can call him if she gets a little anxious again or if she just doesn't feel safe. He is not so convinced of letting her go alone with Mona. But if that is what Hanna wants, what she thinks she needs, then he won't go against it.

Hanna "I will" she gives him a soft smile.

Caleb "See you later?"

Hanna nods and takes her hands to his face to pull him closer. She pecks his lips. "See you, babe"

Caleb lets go of her and looks at Chocolate. "Let's go, buddy" he opens the door and Chocolate goes outside. "Bye, Mona" he says while going out as well and heads toward his car.

Hanna "Okay, let's go shopping" she grabs the keys to her house and Mona and she leave too.

* * *

Hey you all :) I'm happy to know that you liked the previous chapter that much, hope you like this one even more! Thanks for reading, thanks for your kind reviews. xx


	31. Chapter 31

Evening. Hanna gets back home with Mona after spending the day at the mall.

As soon as they get into the house, Hanna hears the home phone ringing.

Hanna "Make yourself at home" she tells Mona and rushes toward the phone as her friend goes upstairs carrying a bag.

Hanna "Hi?"

Caleb "Han, it's me"

Hanna "Oh, hi, babe!"

Caleb "You didn't text me"

Hanna "Yeah, it's just that they ran out of the phone color that I wanted at the store in the mall and I wasn't just going to pick a different color. I have to go back tomorrow, they were going to get me one"

Caleb "I was worried, you could have just called or texted me from another phone. I was about to go straight to your place to check on you"

Hanna sighs. "Stop worrying so much about me. I'm okay"

She can't believe that she gave Caleb a day off her, for him to care for himself, and he is still so attentive to her.

Caleb "Of course I worry about you. I haven't heard from you since this morning, and after all that happened-"

Hanna "Caleb, please. I'm all right"

Caleb "Okay… So… Are you coming over? We can get together with the guys and order some pizza"

Hanna "I already have plans with Mona, babe"

Caleb "Oh, okay… and later? What are you doing? Do you want me to come over for the night? Or do you want to come here?"

Hanna "Actually, Mona is staying the night, so… I guess I'll see you tomorrow"

Hanna's day with Mona was okay, and so she invited her to stay for dinner and then also convinced her to spend the night at her place too. And to her surprise, Mona agreed immediately although she has to go to work the following day. She just got excited about sleeping over because it reminded her of the "old times" when they were in high school. Hanna is just thankful because she didn't even have to insist Mona to stay or give her any explanation. And she is also glad that she found a way not to stay home alone without having to bother Caleb to stay the night with her again. Of course it's not the same. She doesn't feel as safe with Mona as she feels with Caleb. Indeed, she found herself looking over her shoulder several times during the day while feeling a little paranoid at the mall, and she even kept an eye on some strangers who seemed a bit suspicious to her… but despite everything, she made it through the day without major inconveniences and she is happy for that.

Caleb "And Chocolate?"

Hanna "Keep him"

Caleb "You sure? I can drop him off at your place if you want"

Hanna "No, it's okay. Don't bother yourself. I'll be fine"

Caleb "Okay, let me know if you change your mind"

Hanna "Uh huh"

Caleb "How was your day? Did you have fun shopping?"

Hanna "Yeah, it was okay… Mona almost bought half of the mall" she chuckles.

Caleb "And you the other half"

Hanna laughs. "No, indeed, I only bought a really nice top and a lipstick… It took me a lot of self-control, but I only bought that… I need to start saving my money"

The doorbell rings at Caleb's.

Caleb "Give me a sec, babe… there's someone at the door"

Hanna "Okay"

Caleb opens the door and finds Toby standing there. "Hey! Come in… I'm on the phone with Hanna" he tells him and takes the phone back to his ear while walking back to the living room of his house. "It's Toby"

Toby gets inside, closes the door and follows Caleb.

Hanna "Oh, say hi to him"

Caleb "Hanna says hi"

Toby "Spencer wants to see her, why don't you two come over and we get together for dinner with the guys?"

Caleb "Yeah, that's what I told her before, but she has plans with Mona"

Toby "Tell her to bring Mona. I don't care. We want to hear from her. Spencer has been driving me crazy since Emily told her that Chocolate was in DC, at Jordan's"

Caleb "Han, Toby wants us to get together at his place, he says that you can bring Mona. The guys want to see you, they want to know what happened…"

Hanna "Caleb, I'm trying to move on. I don't feel like talking about it all again, I'm kind of done. And I won't take Mona there, the girls don't like her that much and she knows nothing about what happened to me and I would rather she didn't learn about it"

Caleb "Babe, I think the guys deserve to know what happened, they were looking for you all night long the other day, and they were pretty worried… they are still worried about you"

Hanna "Get together without me. You can tell them everything, I don't care. In fact, you would do me a favor if you did it for me"

Caleb "Okay, but they want to see you, not me… we can get together another day"

Hanna "Yeah" she says, not so convinced. "I have to go now" she adds at seeing that Mona is coming back.

Caleb "Give me a call tomorrow, okay? I don't want to be annoying, but please, stay in touch. Let me know when you get your new phone"

Hanna "I will" she smiles slightly. "Good night, baby"

Caleb "Night, babe" he ends the call. "Want a beer?" he asks Toby while heading for the kitchen.

Toby "Sure" he says from the couch where he is sitting.

A minute later, Caleb gets back in the living room with two beers. He hands one of them to Toby and takes seat next to him.

Toby "So… Hanna and you finally happened… are you guys dating already?" he asks amused, even though it's pretty obvious that they are dating. But with everything that happened after Hanna showed up at his place when she came back from DC a few nights ago, and smooched Caleb right in front of everyone, he didn't have the chance to talk about it with him.

Caleb "Yeah, we are together. I know it may seem too soon, Hanna just broke up with Jordan. But we feel good together, so why not?" he shrugs and takes a sip of beer.

Toby "It's not too soon… you two have been practically dating since you met… I think Chocolate was just an excuse" he jokes.

Caleb chuckles. "Yeah, I wouldn't say the same… Hanna cussed me out every chance she got when we first met"

Toby laughs. "Anyway, I'm happy for you two" he only says and drinks some beer.

Chocolate starts scratching the back door, so Caleb gets up and goes let him inside.

Toby "Hi, Chocolate" he greets the overexcited dog who has approached him and starts to pet him on the back. "So, how did this guy end up in DC?" He asks Caleb. "What did Jordan do?" he adds, being a hundred percent sure that he had something to do with what happened to Hanna.

And Caleb, having Hanna's permission to talk to the guys about what happened, starts to tell Toby the whole story.

/

Later that night.

Hanna gets in her bedroom and finds Mona sitting on her bed. She has her sketchbook in her hands and she is taking a look at it.

Mona "Han, this is awesome" she looks up at her. "I love this dress" she says while showing Hanna the page that she is looking at.

It's one of the designs that Hanna made that day at Caleb's when he was painting the living room walls. She felt so inspired that day. She was happy, in a very good mood, and Caleb's place was quiet and it had plenty of sun light. It was the first time she got to make a good design in a long while.

Hanna "Thanks" she gives Mona a smile.

Mona "Where's the actual dress? Is it back in New York?"

Hanna "No… I haven't brought it to life yet… it's just a design"

Mona "Why not?"

Hanna "I haven't made a dress in a long while… and I have no materials, I no longer have a sewing machine and I'm running out of money. I want to go back at making dresses again, but I need to get a job first… I'll look for a job in fashion, or anything related to it, I don't care"

Mona "You won't get a job in fashion here in Rosewood, you know that, right?"

Hanna "Yeah… I know it's complicated, but-"

Mona "Han, this is not New York. There are no big companies here, no famous designers… people in this town just buy their clothes at the mall or at clothing stores that bring things from other cities, and if they want something fancier or more exclusive, for a special occasion like a wedding or graduation, they just drive to Philly or New York themselves. I'm happy that you are staying in Rosewood, I missed you… but that is not the best for your career… You should maybe reconsider going back to New York. You never liked Rosewood that much anyway"

Hanna "Yeah, I know that… but…"

Mona "It's Caleb, isn't it?"

Hanna nods right away. She hadn't thought of it before, but if it weren't for Caleb, she might take Chocolate and go back to New York, she would probably look for a small apartment that she could afford on her own, where they could move in, and she would focus back on her career.

Mona "Come on, Han… you can't choose a guy you just started dating over your career"

Hanna "It's not like that… he is my boyfriend and I love him"

Mona "Hanna, you just met him, you don't even know him that much. I can understand that you really like him and that you have feelings for him, but still… and I'm not telling you to break up with him, you could find a way to make it work… New York is just a couple of hours away from here, you could find a way"

Hanna "No, I want to stay here in Rosewood" she doesn't even try to explain Mona how much Caleb means to her. She wouldn't get it. Instead of that, she just takes her sketchbook from Mona's hands and puts it inside a drawer of her dresser. "I'll find a way to make my career fit in this freaking town. And I don't care if I have to fry burgers until I save enough money to start making my dresses"

Mona bursts out of laughter and Hanna raises her eyebrows at her.

Hanna "What is so funny?"

Mona "You frying burgers" she keeps laughing. "I can't picture you doing that. You wouldn't make it through a day and we both know that"

Hanna "I won't fry burgers" she rolls her eyes. "It was just a way of putting it. You got my point"

Mona "Yeah… I got it" she says, still amused. "Anyway, I know some people in Philly. Let me talk to them… maybe I can help you get a job there. You wouldn't mind having to drive there every day for work, would you? I mean, it's just an hour…"

Hanna smiles. "No, indeed, it would be awesome if you could help me get a job there…"

Mona nods. "Okay… just let me pull some strings and I'll let you know"

Hanna smiles again. "Thank you, Mona. You have no idea how much it means to me"

Mona "Believe me, I do know… wanna watch a movie or something?" she suggests.

/

Next day.

Hanna is at the cell phone store. She went there alone since Mona left for work early that morning.

The shop assistant that is helping her comes back. "Here" he says while opening the little box to show her the phone.

Hanna "Great" she says while smiling at seeing that the device is the right color. "I'll take it"

The shop assistant nods and puts it back in the package.

Hanna "May I ask you a question?"

The guy looks up at her. "Sure"

Hanna "My IPhone is broken, is it possible to get my contacts back?"

Shop assistant "Do you have a backup in ICloud?"

Hanna "I don't think so… is there another way?"

Shop assistant "It depends on how broken your old phone is… does it even turn on?"

Hanna "I'm not sure… the screen doesn't work, but it kept buzzing for a while after it broke, so I think it also ran out of battery… I have it right here" she says and starts looking for the phone in her purse. Then, she hands it to the guy.

Shop assistant "We could check it out if you want, but I'll need you to leave us both phones so we can try to transfer the contacts"

Hanna "Sure… how long would it take?"

Shop assistant "Mmm… I'm not sure… want to come back in a couple of hours? We don't usually do these things, but I'll ask one of the technicians to take a look at the broken phone as soon as possible"

Hanna "That would be great. Thanks"

Shop assistant "Only the contacts? If we get to transfer your contacts, we could also do the same with your pics, videos, music, and stuff"

Hanna "No, it's okay. I have those things in ICloud. Only the contacts would be fine"

Shop assistant "Okay, perfect"

After Hanna pays for her new phone, she leaves the shop and decides to take a stroll through the mall. It's the first time that she goes out alone after the incident for which she ended up in the hospital, and although she doesn't feel that safe yet, she forces herself not to think about it.

Her night with Mona wasn't so good. She only got to sleep a little since she spent most of the night on alert, attentive to every sound that came from outside, from the street, and at some point, she even had to get up from the bed to go turn the hallway lights on because the darkness was not doing her anxiety any favors. Anyway, she felt better with the morning light and even though Mona left her place early to go to work and left her alone, she managed to get some more sleep and so she came to a conclusion: it doesn't matter how much better she feels during the day or how much she progresses, when the sun sets she gets back at feeling unsafe, anxious and vulnerable, and there's nothing she can do about it, she just can't help it. So, the only thing she can do is make the most of her time during the day and hope that at some point, her nights will go back to normal too. Or well, as normal as possible, considering that her life is a mess at the moment. One day, she was breaking up with Jordan in DC, that same night, back in Rosewood, she had sex with Caleb for the first time and it was great. But her happiness didn't last much because the following day she got kidnapped, the next one, she was at the hospital, and the day after that, she was back in DC to get her dog back and ended up meeting with Jordan again and arguing with Caleb. Craziness seems a more accurate word to define her life. And there she is, "surfing" that craziness while trying not to fall into a black hole, that's how she feels.

/

Around an hour later, Hanna is staring at a pair of shoes that caught her attention when she hears a familiar voice calling her name, so she turns around and smiles at seeing the person standing before her.

Hanna "Lucas!" she smiles widely. "Oh my god! What are you doing here?"

Lucas "I would ask you the same, but it's not a surprise to find you here at the mall…" He laughs. "How are you? It's been so long"

Hanna "I'm pretty good" she says, still smiling. "What about you?"

Lucas "I'm very well too… and answering to your question, I'm back in Rosewood for business… just a few days"

Hanna "Oh, let's get coffee any of these days before you leave then"

Lucas "How about now? I have some time before my next meeting, are you free?"

Hanna "Yeah! Sure, let's go" she gives him another smile.

/

Having a coffee with Lucas kept Hanna busier than she thought. She didn't realize how quickly time flied and now she is in a rush to get back to the cell phone store before it closes. But as much as she tries to get there in time, she isn't lucky enough.

Hanna "Fuck!" she says frustrated and bites her bottom lip.

Great. Another day with no phone, she thinks right away. And the next that comes to her mind is Caleb. She hasn't communicated with him since earlier in the morning when she gave him a quick call to let him know that she would go get her new phone in the afternoon. He told her that he had people already working on his backyard but still offered her to come with her to the mall. And of course, she rejected his offer, and once again, told him not to worry about her.

While walking back to her car in the parking lot, Hanna decides to stop by at Caleb's place. She hasn't seen him or Chocolate since the morning of the previous day and although she doesn't want to end up being too clingy again, seeing him at least for a little while would be great.

Right when she gets to her car, Hanna hears someone calling her name again, but this time, she recognizes the voice immediately.

Hanna "Em!" she greets her friend while turning around to look at her. "Hey, Ali!" she adds when she sees that Emily is not alone.

Emily "God, Han!" she gets closer and hugs her. "I'm so glad you are fine! We were so worried about you. I got so scared when we found out that you were missing!"

When Emily pulls away from her, Alison embraces her as well.

Alison "Han! I'm sorry we didn't go see you at the hospital… we didn't want you to get worried about Chocolate and we couldn't just tell you that-"

Hanna "I know, I know" she cuts Alison off while pulling away from her. "It's okay. I totally understand you… thanks for everything you did guys. Caleb told me everything"

Emily "So, how are you doing?"

Hanna "I'm very good" she says and shoots Emily a smile.

But Emily remains serious. "Spencer told us what Caleb told Toby yesterday. I still can't believe what happened. Jordan sounded so concerned about you when he talked to me on the phone. What a son of a bitch! He knew what his friend had done to you… he only wanted to convince you not to go to the police, that's why he didn't let me go for Chocolate myself"

Hanna "It's okay, Em. It doesn't-"

Alison "No, it's not okay" she interrupts Hanna. "None of this is okay, Hanna. You need to do something about what Jordan and his friend did to you. You still can go to the police. Toby says that you still can report what happened. You have witnesses. The doctors at the hospital can back up you on your story and Emily has texts from Jordan on her phone"

Hanna "No. I won't do anything. I just wanna go on with my life, that's all"

Emily "Han, please. Don't be so hardheaded, you need to do something about it"

Hanna "I made my decision. You should support me in this, guys. I'm trying to move on. I need to forget about what happened" she says firmly, since the conversation is already irritating her.

Alison "No, Hanna. You are wrong. I can't support you in that, I won't. you are letting Jordan and his friend get away with it"

Hanna "Fine, I don't need your support anyway. Just leave me alone, that's all I need" she is pissed off and so she opens the door of her car to leave already.

Emily "Don't get mad. We are just worried about you and we don't want Jordan to hurt you again"

Hanna "Jordan didn't hurt me. His friend did. But he is not messing with me anymore. I made sure of it" she says while getting in the driver seat.

Alison "By sending that stupid voice message? Spencer told us about it too. That won't keep that psycho away from you"

Alison's words hit Hanna hard and make her feel vulnerable, so, unable to keep arguing with her friends, she slams the car door shut and drives away without saying anything else. She doesn't have the energy to do any more explanations. She doesn't have the energy to have with her friends the same argument that she had with Caleb a couple of days ago. That's not part of her plan to move on.

Instead of going to Caleb's place as she had decided before, she drives straight to her house. She just got in a bad mood and doesn't want to go with Caleb while feeling like that. She doesn't want him to end up comforting her or dealing with her problems again. She only wants to have good moments with him from now on because their first days of dating were already tainted by the shit going on in her life. They still didn't even have the proper first date that they wanted.

/

When Hanna pulls into the driveway, she gets to see Aria sitting on a step at the entrance of her house. It seems that she has been there waiting on her for a while because she stands up as soon as she parks. Hanna takes a deep breath and gets out of the car hoping that Aria didn't come over to try to make her change her mind too.

Aria "Han!" she gives Hanna a warm smile. "I was waiting for you. You really need to get a phone…" she chuckles. "How are you today?" she asks, still smiling.

Aria is so kind that despite her crappy mood, Hanna does her best and tries to smile her back the same way.

Hanna "I'm good… just back from the mall, I went there to get a phone but got distracted and the store closed… what about you? How are you doing?" she asks as she starts to walk toward the front door of her house.

Aria "I'm good too, I've just left work and I thought I would come over to see you" she responds as she follows Hanna into the house.

Hanna only nods and they head toward the kitchen where she throws her purse on the table.

Aria "Spencer told me everything"

Hanna looks at her.

Aria "Ezra and I were talking this morning and we want you to know that you have our support"

Hanna only stares at her with a frown on her face. But Aria goes on, unaware of Hanna's annoyance.

Aria "I mean when you go to the police. Spencer also told me that she is trying to get you a good attorney to help you gather evidence against Jordan and George and that you might need witnesses as well. She said that Toby is going to-"

Hanna "I can't believe you all have been talking about all that behind my back… making plans for me, making decisions for me. Didn't Spencer tell you that I already talked to the police? That I lied to them?"

Aria "Yes, but-"

Hanna "Well, I did it for a reason. I made a decision and you guys should respect that"

Aria "I know, Han… but everything happened so fast, I think you should really think this through…" she says softly, but it only irritates Hanna even more.

Hanna "I've already thought too much. I just told you that I did what I did for a reason"

Aria "You just went through a lot, you need to calm down and think clearly. We all agree that you should go to the police and report what really happened"

By the time Aria finishes that phrase, Hanna has gone from feeling a bit annoyed to being really pissed off and she can no longer hold herself back.

Hanna "No, you need to calm the fuck down and think clearly because you are not getting what I'm telling you… actually, you all need to mind your own business and stop judging my decisions. Especially Spencer, she didn't even talk to me but she is already deciding what I should do next"

Aria "Okay, just don't get angry. I'm trying to talk to you now… and Spencer hasn't talked to you because you don't even have a phone and the only way to reach you is through Caleb or that home phone that you barely pick up. And we wanted to see you last night, but you had plans with Mona"

Hanna stays silent this time. They both are standing in the middle of the kitchen. Aria doesn't know what to say, she doesn't want to make Hanna any more upset… but after a few seconds, she speaks again.

Aria "We are worried about you… talk to the attorney that Spencer is trying to get you, and then you can-"

Hanna "Aria, leave me alone" she cuts her off right away. "I don't want to listen to you anymore. I'm done" she says while heading toward the front door.

Aria "Are you seriously kicking me out of your house?"

Hanna "Yes, I am" opens the door. "And please, tell Spencer to fuck off and stop meddling in my affairs"

Aria goes outside and Hanna closes the door immediately. She walks back to her car completely surprised by Hanna's reaction. She can't believe she just kicked her out. She can't believe her attitude and the way she got mad so easily. Of course, if she knew about the argument that Hanna just had with Emily and Alison at the parking lot of the mall only some minutes ago, she would understand it all better. If she knew about Hanna's lack of sleep, her reaction would also make more sense to her. But instead, she just assumes that Hanna's odd behavior is due to the traumatizing situation she just went through a few nights ago.

/

Back in the house, Hanna is left on the verge of tears. But she doesn't allow herself to break down this time. She knew her friends wouldn't agree with her about leaving the police out of what happened. That's probably why she chose Mona to hang out with and distract herself from her own life. But she wasn't expecting her best friends to be that pushy.

She lights up a cigarette and goes out to the backyard to chill out. She still needs to call Caleb but she has to calm down first because if he finds out about her low mood, he will get to her place in less than a second. She has decided not to see him after all, at least until the next day when she expects to feel better.

Three cigarettes later, Hanna gets back inside and grabs the home phone to call her boyfriend.

Caleb "Babe… why are you calling me from your home phone again? Haven't you gotten your new cell phone yet?"

Hanna "Hey, baby!… Yeah, I bought a phone today, but then I left it along with my broken phone at the store because they were going to restore my contacts… I was supposed to go back for my phones, but I got distracted and the store closed before I got back there"

Caleb "Han… how comes that you got distracted? You really needed that phone… you could have asked me to help you get your contacts back"

Hanna "I know, I know… don't scold me" she says softly and smiles slightly. Hearing Caleb's voice just improves her mood a lot. "I just ran into an old friend and we went for a coffee, but I promise I'll go for my phone first thing in the morning"

Caleb chuckles. "Maybe I should come with you this time… you went to that store for a new phone twice and both times you left with nothing"

Hanna "The third time's the charm, babe. I'll call you from my new phone tomorrow morning, you will see"

Caleb "I hope so… wanna come over?" he suddenly asks.

Hanna "I can't, I have things to do here… I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Caleb "Oh, come on… I haven't seen you today and there's a furry friend right here that also misses you" he tells her while stroking Chocolate's back with his free hand.

Hanna smiles at thinking of Chocolate. "Give him a goodnight kiss for me"

Caleb "And who's gonna give me a goodnight kiss?"

Hanna "I will… but not tonight, maybe tomorrow night"

Caleb "I didn't like that 'maybe'"

Hanna smiles again.

Caleb "So, who's staying with you tonight?"

Hanna "No one"

Caleb "No one?" he asks surprised. "And you still don't want to stay here with me?"

Hanna "I need to go back to normal, Caleb"

Caleb "I know, but… isn't it too soon? I mean, just the other night you-"

Hanna "It's not too soon" she interrupts him. "I need this… I can't depend on someone all the time. Besides, I'm doing well. I'll be fine… I just want to spend one night alone"

Caleb "Okay… that's fine, I guess" he doesn't keep insisting because although he would rather stay with her and make sure that she is fine, he knows that she is right and he wants her to go back to normal too. "Just keep the phone close so you can call me if you need anything, okay?"

Hanna "I will. Thank you for understanding"

Caleb "No problem" he smiles. "As long as you let me see you tomorrow"

Hanna "Of course, babe… I want to see you too" she smiles too. "Well… I should go make dinner now…"

Caleb "Okay… just call me if you need anything, no matter how late it is" he repeats and makes Hanna smile once again.

Hanna "Thank you" she is so happy to have Caleb in her life. He is so thoughtful. "See you tomorrow"

Caleb "See you, baby"

/

Hanna stays up all night long, watching movies, sitting on the couch in the living room, with all the lights from the ground floor of the house on. Of course, that is not going back to normal and she knows it, but at least she makes it through the night and when the sun raises at dawn, she finally goes upstairs to get some sleep.

With only four hours of sleep, Hanna is awakened by her old alarm clock and even though she still feels as tired as if she had only slept for a few minutes, she gets up from the bed because she promised Caleb that she would go for her new cell phone in the morning.

/

Later.

Hanna comes back home from the mall, this time with her new cell phone in her purse, and as soon as she gets inside, she turns it on.

Once she finishes with the basic settings, she goes to her contacts to finally call Caleb. But when she gets to his name, she realizes that his number is saved just like Caleb added it when they exchanged their numbers, it says simply "Caleb", as if he were just anyone else in her contact list and that it's not right. She edits the contact right away and adds a red heart right after his name. Now she is ready to call him, but before she can even press her finger on the screen, the home phone starts ringing and so she goes get it. She is starting to hate that sound.

Hanna "Hello?"

Spencer "Han, it's me"

Yeah, she definitely hates that freaking old phone.

Spencer "I know I'm supposed to fuck off, Aria delivered your message very clearly, but you are my friend and I still care for you"

Hanna sighs. "Spencer, I can't believe that you started looking for an attorney for me before even talking to me. That is not right"

Spencer "I was just trying to help you, Hanna… When Toby told me what you had done, when he told me about that voice message that you sent Jordan's friend, I just thought that you must had been really scared and I wanted to help you"

Hanna "It wasn't like that… I didn't do it because I was scared. Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm done and if you keep pushing me, I'll have to hang up on you"

Spencer "Okay, I get it… I didn't call you to fight"

Hanna "Okay"

Spencer "I'll have my first ultrasound this afternoon…"

Hanna "Oh, really? That's awesome, Spence" she says and smiles for the first time in the day.

Spencer "Yeah, I'm so excited… and so is Toby"

Hanna "Is he coming with you?"

Spencer "Yeah, he is leaving work earlier"

Hanna smiles again. Of course she is still upset with Spencer, but she is happy for her too.

Spencer "I'm calling you because Toby and I want to get together with you and the guys for dinner, so we can show you all the prints… and since you have been busy with Mona lately, I just wanted to make sure that you can come this evening before telling everyone…"

Hanna doubts for a moment and since she doesn't answer right away, Spencer speaks again.

Spencer "Come on, Han… this is really important to me… We can have a nice night all together, have some drinks, talk about nothing, laugh a lot, like always… it's gonna be fun"

Hanna "Okay, I'm in" she finally says, even though she is not so convinced.

Spencer "Great! I'll text the guys…"

Hanna "Uh huh"

Spencer "Okay, I'll see you later then… bye, Han"

Hanna "See you" she says and hangs up.

Then she grabs her new cell phone and texts Caleb instead of calling him.

Hanna: "Babe! I've got my new phone! I just talked to Spencer, we are going to her place for dinner. See you there. Xx"

Caleb: "Hey you :) Glad you are back in the 21st century! It was about time! I'm at the hardware store with my contractor right now, we had to buy some things that the workers needed for my backyard. Wanna me to pick you up on my way back? We can grab something for lunch and then go out on a walk with Chocolate"

Hanna: "I can't, I have stuff to do… I'll see you later at Toby and Spencer's"

Caleb only answers with three sad face emojis.

Hanna's stuff to do is just taking a nap. She is still tired and now that she has got her new phone, she is ready to go back to bed. But right when she takes the first step to go upstairs, the doorbell rings. She feels that damn shiver down her spine right away. It seems like although she knows that she has nothing to worry about or be afraid of anymore, her body keeps having those reactions. She wishes that she could just text her own body to tell it to stop it and catch up with her mind.

Hanna goes to the door and takes a look through the peephole. She gets surprised at seeing the person standing at the other side of the door.

Hanna "Dad! What are you doing here?" she asks when she opens the door.

Tom "Hey… Your mother asked me to check on you. She says that she can't communicate with you. I also called you on your home phone and you didn't pick up"

Hanna "I just came back from the cell phone store. I've got a new phone now"

Tom "Okay, just text your mother then"

Hanna nods.

Tom turns around to leave but then turns back to Hanna. "You are okay, right?"

Hanna nods again. "Yeah…" she says softly.

Tom stares at her for a moment and then speaks again. "Do you want to come have lunch with me? I have to go back to work, but we could go somewhere for lunch first"

Hanna doubts for a moment. But then she accepts her father's invitation. "Yeah, sure… let me go get my purse"

She doesn't get to spend much time with him, and he rarely invites her to do something together, so even though her body craves for a nap, she can't say no.

/

Later.

Hanna is at The Brew with Mona.

After having lunch with her father, Hanna got back home ready to nap, but once again, she found herself making plans with someone to do something when Mona called her right before she had the chance to even make it to her bedroom. And now there she is, sitting at one of the tables, waiting for Mona to bring their coffees.

Mona "Here" she says and places a latte in front of Hanna on the table.

Hanna grabs the cup and takes a sip right away. "So? What do you need?" she goes straight to the point, because when Mona called her earlier, she told her that she needed a favor and asked her to meet up at the coffee shop.

Mona "I need you to come with me to a party tonight"

Hanna "Tonight? I can't… I have plans already"

Mona "Come on, cancel whatever you have to do. I need you to come with me… Eric, Noel's brother is opening this new night club in Philly tomorrow, and so he is giving a private party there tonight for his closest friends and Noel just invited me"

Hanna "In Philly? No, there's no way I'm going all the way there just for a stupid party"

Mona "So you want me to help you get a job there but you won't come with me to a party?"

Hanna "I can't, I told Spencer that I'd go to her place tonight… we are getting together with the guys"

Mona "Get together another day…"

Hanna doesn't answer.

Mona "Come on, I'm your friend too… sometimes I feel that you only call me when your other friends are busy or when you need something from me"

Hanna "It's not like that, and you know it"

Mona "No, I don't. I'm just asking you to come with me to a party, it's no big deal… Noel finally texted me again after two freaking weeks. I really need to go to that party"

Hanna remains silent for some seconds, but then she looks up at Mona. "Okay, I'll come with you"

Mona grins. "Great!"

/

By the time Hanna gets back home after having coffee with Mona, it's already time to get in the shower and start getting ready to go out, since she also made plans with her to have dinner at The Apple Rose Grill before going to the party. She has decided not to cancel on Spencer just yet, since she knows that she was really excited about getting together and sharing those ultrasound prints with everyone and she doesn't want her to leave the get-together for another day just because she is not coming.

/

Later.

Spencer and Toby's house.

Everyone is already there. Except for Hanna, of course. But it doesn't seem strange to anyone since she is always the last one to arrive.

There's one person in particular who is really expectant of her arrival. And that one person is obviously Caleb, who hasn't seen her for like three days and is looking forward to spending some time with his girlfriend.

They are in the living room of the house.

Aria "Come on, show us the prints already!" she tells Spencer.

Spencer smiles. "No until Hanna is here too"

Emily "We could order the food already at least, I'm starving!"

Toby "Okay, what do you feel like having for dinner?" he asks while taking his cell phone.

Emily "Anything, just order some food"

Alison "How about some sushi?"

Toby twists his face in disgust.

Ezra "Mmm… I'm not a fan of sushi either…"

Spencer "Italian?" she suggests.

Alison "Yeah, that would be fine too"

Toby nods in agreement as well.

Spencer's phone buzzes and she grabs it from the coffee table. "Text from Hanna" she says before even reading the text.

Hanna: "Hey, Spence… I can't come over, I'm sorry. I'm going out with Mona, she needs me to accompany her to some place. Hope you have fun tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing those prints of your baby, I'll stop by at your place tomorrow. Xx"

Caleb "Is she coming already?"

Spencer's facial expression changes as her smile fades away. "No, she just canceled on me… she is going out with Mona again"

Alison "What the shit? Mona again?"

Emily "Why would she cancel on us to hang out with Mona?"

Spencer "She said she had to accompany her somewhere, I don't know"

Caleb "She didn't tell you where she is going?"

Spencer "No"

Aria "Guys, Hanna is not okay… she literally kicked me out of her house yesterday"

Alison and Emily give each other a look right away.

Caleb "She did?" he asks surprised.

Aria nods.

Emily "Ali and I ran into her at the mall yesterday and even though I have to admit that maybe we pushed her too much, she got mad at us really easily, we were talking and she left just like that"

Aria "Maybe that's why she is not coming, she is upset with all of us"

Spencer "No, she told me that she would come. She should be here. I can't believe she just canceled on me for Mona. I told her that this was important to me"

Toby "It's okay, babe… try to understand her, she just went through a lot. She didn't come for dinner, it's no big deal"

Spencer "No, you don't get it" she says and rests back against the couch backrest. "I talked to her before organizing this get-together because I wanted all my friends to be here and I specifically asked her if she had plans with Mona already. I kinda had the feeling that she was avoiding getting together with us, but I thought she would come because she knows how much this means to me. Guess I was wrong"

Alison "What's with her? Why is she hanging with Mona again? That's no good"

Emily "Yeah, I think that spending that much time with Mona is the last she needs right now"

Caleb "Guys, what's going on?" he asks very concerned. "What's wrong with Mona?"

Alison "You should ask Hanna, but at this point, I can't guarantee that she will tell you the truth"

Ezra "Mona is a psycho"

Caleb's worry becomes evident on his face.

Toby "Chill, it's not that bad" he tells Caleb.

But Caleb is already on his feet. "I'll go check on Hanna"

Spencer "Why don't you just call her?"

Emily "She might not even be at her place"

Caleb "I need to see her. Be right back" he says and heads toward the front door to leave.

Spencer "She better have a good excuse not to have come over"

Caleb gets in his car while thinking of how he could not realize that Hanna wasn't as well as she told him that she was. He wants to kick himself for not having gone see her before. He was just trying to give her some space, he was trying not to be annoying, but maybe he did wrong.

/

Hanna is all dressed up. Ready to have a fun night out… or well, that's what her outfit, her make-up and her hair show. But she is just sitting quietly on a step outside her house, at the front, smoking a cigarette while waiting for Mona to pick her up.

Hanna is absent-minded, watching the cars go by her street. But one of those few cars stops right in front of her house and before she can know it, Caleb comes out from it.

Hanna can't help smiling at seeing him. She feels her inside burn right away. She is so in love with that guy.

Caleb simply approaches and sits down next to her. "Hey" he gives her a slight smile and placing his palm on her knee, he leans in to kiss her on the lips.

Hanna "Hey" she greets him back when he pulls away. "What are you doing here?"

Caleb "Just wanted to see you…" he tells her softly. "You smoking again?" he asks just as softly.

Hanna "I'll quit it, I promise. Just not right now" she says as Caleb reaches out and for a moment, she thinks that he is going to take her cigarette and maybe put it out, but instead of that, he just takes her hand and brings it to his mouth.

Caleb "Okay" he says and takes a puff from the cigarette that she is still holding between her fingers.

Hanna "What are you doing?" she asks while moving her hand away from his mouth.

Caleb shrugs. "if you smoke, I'll smoke too"

Hanna rolls her eyes and throws the cigarette to the ground in front of her, then she tramples it, putting it out herself.

Caleb "What's going on, Han? Why aren't you at Spencer's?"

Hanna "I made plans with Mona. We are going to a party"

Caleb "To a party?"

Hanna nods.

Caleb "But you told Spencer you would come"

Hanna "Yeah, but I changed my mind"

On his way to Hanna's, Caleb decided to go easy on Hanna. Pushing her hasn't worked before, not for him, not for her friends.

Caleb "Okay" he only says, since he is there only to make sure that she is fine. It's not like he went there to convince her to go back to Spencer's with him.

Hanna gives him a smile and takes his face in her hands. "Can I have a kiss?" she asks him while getting closer.

Caleb smiles and moves in too, keeping eye contact with her until his face is close enough and he shuts his eyes when their lips meet.

The way Hanna makes the kiss deep right from the beginning causes direct effects on Caleb's body. Soon, his breathing becomes heavy as they make out, his arms keeping her close. The way she is using her tongue to french kiss him just blows his mind. He starts to brush his fingertips up and down her back and an involuntary very hot sound escapes from Hanna's mouth. That sexy sound sends a shot of electricity right from their kiss to Caleb's crotch. That's when he decides to pull away from that addictive mouth of hers.

Caleb "Fuck everyone… let's just go to my place. I need you" he whispers into Hanna's ear, still embracing her. "I want you"

Hanna "I know, I need you too. Believe me" she takes one of his hands and places it on her chest for him to feel how fast her heart is beating. "But I can't fail Mona… I'll come over to your place after the party, if that's okay with you…" she says and nuzzles his neck.

Caleb "I would love it" he squeezes her against his body.

Hanna smiles. "Come on, let's go inside… I'll pack a bag for you to take to your place for me, so I can go straight there after the party"

Caleb grins and lets go of her. They stand up and go inside.

Caleb "Han… are you sure you want to go out with Mona?" he asks Hanna as she puts some of her things into a bag. He is sitting on her bed.

Hanna "Yeah, of course I'm sure… why do you ask?"

Caleb "Well, you had only seen her once since you came back to Rosewood, and it was at her birthday party, but now you are spending more time with her than with anyone else"

Hanna smiles slightly. "You jealous?" she jokes.

But Caleb remains serious. "The guys weren't so happy to know that you were going out with Mona again… and it didn't seem like it was just because they didn't like her… they seemed… worried"

Hanna sighs in frustration. "What did they tell you?"

Caleb "Nothing… but Alison said that I should ask you about Mona…"

Hanna "Look, I don't know what's going on with the guys, but they are being a pain in the ass to me lately. And Mona is my friend, so yes, I want to go out with her. She just asked me to come with her to this party because someone she really likes invited her. And it wasn't like the guy asked her out, it was more like 'hey, come to the party, bring some friends'. He probably only wants to fuck her after the party, but she doesn't seem to care" she shrugs. "And I just want to have some fun… I thought it would be nice to go to a party, that's all…"

Caleb "Okay" he stands up from the bed and approaches her. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That's all" he kisses her cheek very tenderly.

Hanna "I'm okay" she says softly while wrapping her arms around his neck.

Caleb nods although he still can see a bit of sadness in her eyes. But once again, he is not there to push her. And he knows that she has many reasons to be a little sad yet. He leans in and connects their lips again. But this time they keep the kiss calm, not wanting to start anything they can't finish.

Soon, they hear a car horn that makes them pull away from the romantic kiss.

Hanna "That's Mona… I have to go…"

Caleb nods and lets go of her. Then, he grabs Hanna's bag and they leave the house.

Caleb "Take care, okay?"

Hanna nods. "I'll see you later, babe" she pecks Caleb's lips once more and turns around.

Caleb watches his smokin' hot girlfriend walk to Mona's car. Checking her out entirely. "You are beautiful, by the way" he can't help saying it out loud.

Hanna gives him a huge smile as she gets in Mona's car.

* * *

Guys! I'm back. I took a long while to update but believe me, I've been working on this long chapter since even before updating the last time, and I just finished it today. I would love to say that I'll update sooner next time, but I'm going on a trip to USA in two days and I'll be away for two weeks, so I won't show up for another three weeks I think.

Anyway, about this chapter, I thought that I would be fun to bring crazy Mona to this story, just to add some more drama. Of course, "A" doesn't exist here, just Mona being Mona. And Caleb being cute :) way too cute.

Thanks for your reviews! I love reading your opinions. Till next time!


	32. Chapter 32

Caleb goes back to Toby and Spencer's and as soon as he steps into the dining room where everyone is sitting at the table, all eyes turn to him. But he doesn't say anything, he just goes and takes seat too.

Spencer "So… did you see her?"

Caleb "Yeah"

Alison "And what was she up to?"

Caleb "She was just waiting for Mona to pick her up"

Spencer "Where were they going?"

Caleb "I don't know. I didn't ask" he shrugs.

Alison "You didn't ask?" she asks surprised.

Caleb "No" he lies. He doesn't want to tell the girls that Hanna was just going to a party. He doesn't know what's going on between Hanna and her friends, but he does know that he doesn't want to get in the middle of that and telling Spencer that Hanna canceled on her just for a party won't do any good. "I went there just to check on her, and she is fine guys… just trying to move on, that's all"

Aria "Well, that's good, I guess…"

Spencer "I don't know what could be more important than coming here as she promised me she would"

Alison "Yeah, especially with Mona involved"

Toby "Just leave her alone, guys…" he tells Spencer and Alison.

Emily "Yeah… maybe she just needs some time, she will show up any of these days… let's have dinner already" she grabs the bag with the food that they ordered and takes out one of the food packages. "Who ordered spaghetti Bolognese?"

/

A couple of hours later, the guys are sitting outside in the backyard, having some drinks, as they usually do every time they get together for dinner there. Spencer and Toby are cuddling together on a couch, Aria is sitting on Ezra's lap and Alison and Emily are just sitting next to each other, but Emily's arm is over Alison's shoulders and they are holding hands. Caleb gets now why Hanna told him that she was always the third wheel in that group of friends, because that's exactly how he feels at the moment and he wishes she was there too. Hanna would surely sit on his lap as always, he would embrace her waist to keep her close and they would probably even share a glass, so when it was her turn to drink and hold the glass, he would use his free hand to touch her a little, maybe to caress the soft skin of her legs, or he could also use that hand to move her hair aside and kiss her neck for a bit.

Emily "Hey, you!" she raises her voice and brings Caleb back from his thoughts. "I'm talking to you" she smiles at Caleb when he finally looks at her. "Do you want a refill?" she asks while holding a bottle of wine.

Caleb "Sure, thanks" he smiles back.

Spencer "What a beautiful night, guys… I don't want summer to end"

Aria "Yeah… it's still early, we should do something, we should go out"

Spencer "Yeah! Totally"

Alison "Eric Kahn invited me to a party, I wasn't going to go, but if you guys want, we can go… he told me that I could bring some friends, so…"

Aria "That sounds fun, we could go there for a while…"

Ezra "Mmm… I have to work tomorrow"

Toby "Yeah, me too… I'll pass"

Spencer "I'm in… I feel like dancing a little!"

Toby gives her a look.

Spencer "What? I'm pregnant, but I still can party…"

Emily "Where's the party, babe? Is it at that old cabin?"

Alison chuckles. "No, it's been a long while since Eric stopped throwing parties there… now he has made a business out of it. He is opening a night club in Philly tomorrow night, and so he is hosting a private party there tonight"

Toby "You are not going to Philly, right?"

Spencer sighs. "No, I guess I'll pass too… sorry, guys"

Emily "What about you, Caleb? Are you coming with us?" She asks warmly.

Aria "We could use a guy in the group" she smiles at him.

Caleb smiles back. "Sorry, girls, but I'll pass too… Hanna is coming over later, so I'll just go home"

Alison smiles amused. "Hanna, Hanna" she teases him.

Aria "Seems like he's having his own private party at home" she says amused and laughs.

Toby "I bet he is going to have more fun tonight than any of us here"

Ezra laughs. "Sure, he will"

Spencer "Hey" she elbows Toby. "You were going to have fun tonight too, but now I'm not so sure…"

Everyone laughs.

Toby "Come on, babe" he places a kiss on her neck. "I was just kidding…"

The guys keep having some drinks and joking around for a while and then Aria, Emily and Alison leave for the party, Ezra and Caleb go home and Toby and Spencer just go to bed.

/

Philly.

Hanna and Mona have been at the party for a while. Hanna thought that there would be a lot less people at the party, since it was a private party, but she was wrong, because the place is full, it's so full that it doesn't even seem a private party, it seems just an ordinary night in a nightclub, except for one thing, the drinks are free. It's an open bar party. And Hanna has been drinking since the moment she stepped into the place. The alcohol has helped her with the anxiety she felt at seeing that amount of unknown people and now that she is tipsy, she is handling it a bit better.

She is dancing with Mona on the middle of the dance floor. Several guys have tried to pick them up, mostly they tried to come on to Hanna, but the the girls have rejected them all, even though some of those guys were pretty hot.

Mona "I'll go for another drink" she tells Hanna at some point.

Hanna "I'm coming with you" there's no way she is staying alone.

Once they get to the bar, Mona orders two margaritas.

Hanna "Only one" she tells the barman. "I'll just have some water"

Mona "What?" she looks at Hanna right away. "Why?"

Hanna "I don't want to get drunk, and I'm pretty close to that"

Mona "Oh, come on, we are at a party" she tells Hanna and turns her gaze back to the bartender. "Actually, we want a bottle of champagne, please"

Hanna rolls her eyes but doesn't say anything. She can take a cab to go back to Rosewood, so it doesn't matter if they keep drinking a little more, it's not like she was counting on Mona to take her back home anyway.

Mona "Should I go say hi?" she asks Hanna while looking past her.

Hanna turns around to take a look as well and sees Noel, surrounded by a group of people.

Hanna "Not yet…" she says and gets to see that one of those people there is Sean. "Maybe you should wait and let him come to you"

Mona "No, I want him to know that I'm here… I'm not sure he's seen me. It's too crowded here" she says and starts to walk, but Hanna grabs her arm.

Hanna "Wait, don't leave me alone…"

Mona turns to look at her. "Come with me then"

Hanna "No, Sean is there…"

Mona "Okay, I'll be right back"

Hanna "No, please… don't leave me alone"

Mona gives her a strange look.

Hanna "There are too many people" it's all she manages to say in an attempt to make Mona stay with her, without telling her what is really going on.

And Mona doesn't get her, she doesn't understand what the amount of people in there has to do with not wanting to be left alone just for one minute. It's a party at a nightclub after all, it's obvious there's going to be a lot of people. But the way Hanna is staring at her makes her stay.

Mona "Okay, fine… let's go dance" she says with no more questioning while grabbing the champagne bottle.

They go back to the dance floor and only a couple of minutes after, Hanna feels her phone buzzing in her purse, so she takes it and smiles at getting a text from Caleb.

Caleb: "Babe, I'm exhausted. I'll just go to bed, give me a call when you come. Hope you are having a nice time :)"

Hanna smiles wider and texts him back: "Baaaaaby! Sure, get some sleep… you'll need some energy for when I come over ;)"

Caleb: "Fuck, Han… don't take too long"

Hanna is typing another text, but her phone is suddenly snatched from her hands and when she looks up, Mona is already putting it into her own little purse.

Mona "Stop texting your boyfriend, we are dancing"

Hanna rolls her eyes at her but doesn't try to get her phone back because she knows that if she does, she will completely lose interest in the party while texting Caleb. Indeed, after that brief exchange of texts, she wants to go with him already, but it's still early and she can't just leave yet.

Mona "Here, have some champagne" she hands her a glass.

They keep dancing and at some point, Mona starts using her phone.

Hanna "Hey! If I can't text Caleb, you can't use your phone either" she claims right away.

Mona "It's my mom… just a minute"

/

Emily, Aria and Alison arrive at the party a few minutes later. After getting their drinks, they go take seat on one of the couches.

Emily "Thought we came here to have fun… let's go dance" she says as Aria and Alison sit down.

Aria "Yeah, but we need a warm up first" she raises her glass.

Alison chuckles at seeing Aria drink half of her glass at once and then turns to Emily. "Come here, babe" she offers her hand to her.

Emily takes Ali's hand and sits down on her lap.

Aria "No! no way… we already discussed this back in the car, you are not here on a date, you are here as friends, my friends"

Emily laughs and moves to sit next to Alison instead. "Better?"

Aria nods.

Alison "Guys… isn't that Hanna?"

Aria and Emily look toward the same direction as Ali right away.

Emily "It has to be her" she says at seeing the blonde with her back to them. "The other one is Mona"

Aria "What is she doing here?"

Alison "I think it's obvious" she says while watching Hanna dance with the champagne bottle in her hand.

Aria "Thank god Spencer is not here… she was pretty disappointed today"

Alison "What's with her?" she says while standing up.

Emily "Where are you going?"

Alison "I'll go tell her what a crappy friend she was to Spencer today"

Emily "Don't" she reaches out and grabs her wrist. "Let her be… you heard Caleb, he said she's trying to move on, that means that she is not fully well yet, we should let her be…"

Aria "Yeah, I think Em is right… she seems to be having fun"

Alison "So she is well enough to party with Mona but she won't get together with us, her best friends… it doesn't make any sense. We didn't do anything to her"

Emily "Just stay here, please… we can talk to her tomorrow. This is not the right place to confront her… and it is not the right way either"

Alison "Okay, fine" she finally gives up and sits back down.

Aria "Why didn't we order champagne?" she says while looking at her half empty glass and then back at Hanna. "That bottle of champagne that Hanna is holding probably costs more than her entire outfit and we could get one of those for free too"

Alison and Emily laugh.

Alison "Go get some champagne"

Aria "Sure, I will" she says while standing up from the couch. "You better not be making out when I come back"

The girls laugh again as Aria walks away.

/

The expensive champagne tastes so good in Hanna's mouth that even though she was only going to drink a little more, she ends up finishing the whole bottle, along with Mona, of course.

Hanna "I need a pee" she tells Mona after drinking the last drop of champagne.

Mona laughs. "Just go to the ladies' room then. it's over there" she says while pointing with her finger.

Hanna "Come with me, please?"

Mona "Come on, Hanna, just go… why are you so clingy tonight?" she says while staring past Hanna. Noel is close by and she is sure that if Hanna leaves her alone for a minute, he will come to her.

Hanna "I just thought you would want to use the bathroom as well, that's all" she says and looks down, feeling a little ashamed because Mona finally noticed her insecurity.

Mona "Well, I don't… just go"

Hanna starts walking away toward the ladies' room while cursing herself. She shouldn't have kept drinking, she can already feel the alcohol messing with her body.

Aria "Guys, we should keep an eye on Hanna… she is drunk" she says while watching her friend stumbling through the crowded place until she gets into the ladies' room. They are dancing far from Hanna, but Aria still managed to see her.

Alison "Mona can babysit her, Hanna came to the party with her, not with us"

Emily "Hey, don't be mean! She is our friend… of course we are watching her"

Alison knows that Emily is right. "Okay, fine… Should we go in there?"

Emily "No… let's just wait for a while… if she doesn't come out soon, then we are going check on her"

Aria "Yeah, maybe she's just a little tipsy"

/

As soon as Hanna gets in the ladies' room and the bright light hits her, she feels that the room starts spinning, and she has to lean against the wall for a moment before getting into one of the restroom stalls. And when she comes out of there, it doesn't get any better, back at the crowded area she feels too hot and overwhelmed, and the loud music that was making her dance only a while ago, now makes her head pound. She goes back to where she was dancing with Mona before, but she is not there. Hanna takes a look around, but Mona is nowhere to be found. Her anxiety level rises to the highest in just one second. Being left alone plus the slowness and clumsiness with which her body responds to her brain because of the alcohol, take her back to the fear that she felt in the woods only some days ago. Her breathing becomes shallow and her body starts trembling. She stays still and keeps looking around trying to find her friend. But Mona isn't there and right when she feels that she is about to collapse, her eyes spot a familiar face. A familiar face that she never thought she would be so happy to see. She goes to that person immediately.

Hanna "Help me, please" she manages to say, but her words come out like a whisper as she places her hand on that person's shoulder.

Sean turns to her. "Hanna?" he asks surprised, but with a cocky grin in his face. He didn't get to make out Hanna's words.

"Who's she?" the girl that Sean is holding by the waist asks.

But Sean doesn't answer to her question.

Sean "What's up, Han?" he greets her, still unaware of her state.

Hanna reaches out and grabs his free arm, the one that isn't wrapped around the other girl's body. That's when Sean feels her shaky body.

Sean "What's going on?"

Hanna "Can't breathe" her voice still sounds like a whisper, but this time she gets closer to make sure he hears her. "Help me"

Sean lets go of the other girl right then and wraps an arm around Hanna's shoulders. "Be right back" he tells the girl. "Let's get you out of here" he tells Hanna.

Hanna "I can't move"

Sean "Yes, you can. It's all in your head… come on" he pulls from her shoulders and makes her start to walk. He leads her toward the exit, always keeping her against his side.

Alison "Guys! Look!" she suddenly stops dancing while staring past Emily and Aria.

They stop dancing too and turn around to take a look.

Emily "Oh my god, Hanna and… Sean?"

Alison "Yeah… I can't believe she is cheating on Caleb"

Aria "I told you guys we needed to keep an eye on her"

Alison "I don't get her, she finally found someone who really cares for her and she is ruining it just like that"

Hanna starts gasping for air before they can reach the exit so Sean stops and places her against a wall.

Sean "Hey, look at me" he tells her while moving her hair off her face. "Breathe… I know you think you can't, but you can. Just breathe… take a deep breath and then let it out slowly"

Hanna focuses on Sean and tries to do as she was told. Of course, if he were Caleb, she would feel safe already and breathing wouldn't be that hard.

It takes her a while, but she gets a bit better eventually, although her breathing is still pretty shallow and now she is also shedding some tears. She feels frustrated. She thought she was over that paralyzing fear.

Sean "Let's go outside" he wraps his arm around her shoulders again.

Emily "God, poor Caleb…" she says while watching Hanna and Sean. From where she is, she gets to see the way he is holding her, but she doesn't get to see that Hanna is not okay and that she is actually weeping.

Aria "Maybe she and Caleb aren't that serious yet… I mean, we know nothing after all… Hanna didn't tell us what's going on between Caleb and her"

Emily "Aria, I think it's pretty obvious… the guy stuck to her the whole time at the hospital, he even took her to DC to get Chocolate back, he did everything for her… even if they aren't formally dating yet, she can't do this to him"

Aria "Let's go stop her then"

Alison "Yeah, let's go… but still, if she gave a damn about Caleb, she would stop it herself… even if she is drunk"

But the crowded place makes the girls lose sight of Hanna and by the time they get to where she was with Sean, they are no longer there.

Once they get out of the nightclub, Sean makes Hanna sit down on a step outside the closed bakery next door and then he sits down next to her.

She gets better gradually. The calm of the night and the fresh air help her a lot.

Sean "Better?" he asks her after some minutes.

Hanna only nods and takes another deep breath before bringing her hands to her face to wipe the remaining tears away.

They stay silent for a while until Sean breaks the ice.

Sean "You just cockblocked me, you know that, right?" he jokes. "That girl was ready to go home with me"

He causes Hanna to smile very slightly at finding his comment fun.

Sean "So, what was that?"

Hanna "I don't know… it just happened" she finally speaks. "I'm sorry"

Sean "It's okay… we are even… I was a dick the other night at Camp Mona…"

Hanna "Yes, you were"

Sean lights up a cigarette and after taking some drags, he offers it to Hanna.

Hanna "I don't smoke, thanks" she rejects it only for Caleb, although she could really use a puff right now. "So… how did you know exactly what to do? What to say to me?" she can't help asking since Sean seemed very confident while helping her.

Sean "My mom used to have panic attacks when I was a child"

Hanna "Oh…" she says and falls silent, but then she feels the need to set him straight. "Anyway, I didn't have a panic attack"

Sean "Yes, you did"

Hanna "No, I didn't"

Sean "So, how would you call what just happened in there?"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "There were too many people in there and I'm drunk… I just got a little nervous"

Sean "Yeah, sure…" he puts his cigarette out. "Well, I'll just go back to the party then" he stands up.

Hanna "Wait" she gets on her feet as well and finds out that she is still dizzy. "Have you seen Mona?" she asks while leaning on the wall for stability.

Sean "Yeah, she left with Noel"

Hanna "Really? She left?" she asks surprised.

Sean "Yes… why are you so surprised? They've been hooking up for a while now"

Hanna "I know… but she could have just told me that she was leaving, she has my phone and we came in her car"

Sean shrugs and starts walking back toward the nightclub.

Hanna "Wait… don't leave me alone, please"

Sean "Why don't you just take a cab to Eric's apartment? Noel and I are staying there, I'm sure he took Mona there"

Hanna "I don't want to be left alone" she confesses now because she has no other option.

If she could take a cab on her own, she would go back to Rosewood, she would go straight to Caleb's place, not to Eric's. But she is drunk and she feels unsafe, and she can't take the risk of taking a cab alone because what just happened to her in the nightclub could happen again. And if it happens again, she would rather be with a familiar face, even if that familiar face is Sean's.

Sean sighs. "Okay, come help me find the chick that was with me then… I guess you can come with us to Eric's"

Hanna nods and goes with him. "Do you even know that girl's name?" she asks sarcastically as they get back in the nightclub.

Sean "Yeah, don't get smart with me or you can start figuring out how to go back home on your own" he gives her another cocky smile.

/

Aria, Alison and Emily get out of the nightclub after looking for Hanna for a while.

Aria "She disappeared, guys"

Alison "She must have left the party with Sean… she wasn't in there"

Emily "So… what should we do next?"

Alison "Nothing… it's too late"

Aria "Come on, we can't just give up… try to call her"

Alison takes her phone to call Hanna.

Emily "We should have gone with her the moment we saw her getting in the ladies' room"

Aria "Yeah, we shouldn't have waited"

Meanwhile, Mona is "having fun" with Noel in her car when Hanna's phone starts ringing non-stop in her purse. They ignore it at first, but after Alison's third call, Noel gets irritated by the annoying sound.

Noel "Just turn that shit off" he says out of breath and Mona reaches out to grab Hanna's phone from her purse on the driver seat. But being in a rush to get back to riding Noel in the backseat, she accepts the call instead of rejecting it and throws the phone back into her purse.

Alison "Han! Where are you?"

Emily "She picked up?"

Alison nods at Emily and keeps talking on the phone. "We are in Philly, we-" she doesn't finish the sentence. "Oh my god, guys!" she says out loud while putting her phone away. "I just heard her moaning"

Aria and Emily look at her surprised.

Alison "I told you it was too late… I think she answered the phone by accident… God, I won't be able to forget that sound any time soon"

Emily "Are you sure it was a moan?"

Alison "Yeah, I think I can tell when I hear a moan, Em…"

Aria "Poor Caleb… he stayed home just to wait for her and she does this to him…"

Emily "Yeah, but it would have been a lot worse if he had come with us to the party…"

Alison "Guys, Hanna is our friend here, not Caleb. I feel sorry for him too, but we won't say a word about this. We just need to talk to Hanna. She needs to cut the shit already, she doesn't stop making mistakes"

Emily "Yeah… she needs to knock it off. I understand that she is hurt, but she can't go around hurting other people too"

Aria "Wanna go home already?"

Alison "Yeah, let's get going"

/

Hanna "Sean, can we go already? She is not here" she asks him as she grabs his arm not to lose him in the middle of the multitude of people.

Sean "Okay, fine… let's go" he says not so happy, and they head to the exit.

Once they are back on the street, Hanna lets go of his arm.

Sean "I'll stop a cab"

Hanna "You don't have your car?"

Sean "No, I came here with Noel… it was pointless to come in two cars when it was an hour drive and we are staying at the same place"

Hanna nods. It makes sense, although she would have preferred to come in her own car and drive that hour, rather than be stuck in Philly like she is right now. She should have known better.

Sean "So, where's your boyfriend?" he asks once they are on their way to Eric's apartment in the cab.

Hanna "In Rosewood"

Sean "Does he know that you came to Philly to party with your crazy friend?"

Hanna "Don't call Mona that. And yes, of course he knows… why?"

Sean shrugs. "Just asking"

The rest of the ride is quiet and soon they get to Eric's place. Sean opens the door and gets in the apartment.

Sean "Come in" he tells Hanna who is still standing in the hallway.

Hanna "I won't go inside… can you please let Mona know that I'm here?"

Sean laughs. "She's probably busy, don't you think?"

Hanna "I don't care, I need my phone… go take a look… bring me her purse at least, I'll just take the keys to her car and wait for her there"

Sean "Fine" he says and disappears into the apartment.

He comes back to the door a couple of minutes after.

Sean "She is not here… and neither is Noel"

Hanna "Really? You sure?"

Sean "Yeah, I checked Noel's room, the bathroom and also the kitchen, just in case they were feeling naughty tonight" he jokes.

Hanna rolls her eyes at him. "You are an idiot" she says but then she realizes that she is more stuck in Philly than she thought and so she bites her bottom lip.

Hanna "Fuck… what am I going to do now?"

Sean "Well, you could start by being a bit nicer to me if you want me to help you" he jokes again, but Hanna doesn't talk back to him this time, she just remains worried, and Sean notices it. "Just come in… wait for Mona here… you don't have many options here"

Hanna nods and finally steps into the apartment.

Sean "Have seat… I'll be right back"

Hanna goes sit down on the comfy huge couch. Fortunately for her, she no longer feels that the rooms are spinning, probably because that kind of panic episode that she had back in the nightclub has obliged her mind to sober a little up. But she is still drunk and she can feel it in her body, the way she feels like she is floating around instead of walking, and she also feels like if she was in a dream for moments. She takes a look around the modern place, it's obvious that it belongs to a single man, probably quite immature, and definitely a party animal, but with a good taste, since it is very well decorated. The vivid colors catch her drunk mind's attention and by the time Sean comes back, she is still looking around.

Sean "Are you high?" he makes fun of her while sitting down next to her on the couch.

Hanna looks at him but doesn't answer back to his joke this time either. He has changed into sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt. "You're going to sleep already?"

Sean "Well, I don't have much of a choice… let's just say that thanks to someone, I won't have any fun tonight…" he teases her again. "Unless you are down to come to bed with me…" he places his arm over Hanna's shoulders.

Hanna rolls her eyes again and moves his arm off of her.

Sean laughs.

Hanna "Stop messing with me. I'm grateful to you for helping me but I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes. I'm tired, drunk, and I just want to go home"

Sean "Okay, okay… I'm sorry. But really, I'm going to bed and your crazy frien-, I mean, Mona, could take a long while to come here, and that is if she ever comes over, maybe she doesn't even come to this apartment… why don't you get some sleep? The bed in the guestroom is pretty large, I promise I won't even touch you"

Hanna "No, I'll just wait here. I'm fine" Sean is insane if he thinks that she could accept his offer, she thinks right away.

Sean "All right, suit yourself" he stands up from the couch and heads for the hallway.

Hanna "Could you please text Noel and let him know that I'm here waiting for Mona?"

Sean "Yeah… if you change your mind, the guestroom is first door on the right"

Hanna remains sitting on the couch for almost an hour. Although she is very much tired after nights of bad sleep, she doesn't fall asleep. It's already hard for her to sleep in her own bed at her house, she won't just fall asleep on Eric Kahn's couch. And sharing a bed with Sean is not an option. She can only think of going back to Rosewood, going back to Caleb and being with him. She should have never come to Philly, she shouldn't have come to that stupid party that by the way, she couldn't even enjoy. Suddenly, she starts to hear some voices coming from the hallway outside the apartment, she can hear laughing male voices right outside the door and before she can know it, Eric Kahn shows up followed by three other guys and a couple of girls.

Eric "Who are you?" he asks surprised at finding Hanna there.

Hanna can already feel her heart racing in her chest. "Mmh… Hi!... I'm Hanna Marin" she says, shyly.

Eric "Oh, Hanna! Right! Alison's friend! I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you… it's been years!" he says as his friends come inside and go have seat all around Hanna.

Hanna "Yeah…" she stands up from the couch, feeling really awkward. "I was just waiting for my friend Mona, she is with Noel… I came here with Sean… I mean, he just let me in so I could wait for Mona, it's not like we-"

Eric smiles amused and cuts her off. "Oh, okay, okay… that's fine" he gives her a smile. "You came to the party, right? Did you like the place?"

Hanna "Yeah, it's such a really nice place…" she forces a smile. She feels embarrassed as fuck. "Well, I'll just go get Sean… I have to go"

Eric "Really? You can stay for a while if you want, there's no problem"

Hanna "No, it's fine… thanks" she says while heading to the guestroom.

Once in the room, she goes wake Sean up.

Hanna "Hey, you! Wake up!" she tells him while grabbing him by the shoulder to shake him. "Why didn't you tell me that Eric would come back so soon?" she asks as soon as Sean opens his eyes and looks at her.

Sean "What the fuck, Hanna?"

Hanna "Eric is here with his friends… he came inside and I was just there sitting on his couch, you could have told me that he could arrive any moment"

Sean "I didn't know, Hanna… It was his party, I thought he would take longer to come back… anyway, why are you so worried? He brings strangers to his apartment all the time… it's no big deal"

Hanna "I want to go home… can you please call me a cab? An Uber? Something?"

Sean sighs, he is half asleep and a bit irritated now. "You know you shouldn't take a cab alone this late and after what happened at the party"

Hanna "Yeah, I know, but I need to go home"

Sean "Okay" he says and takes his phone. He ran out of patience. "Do you have money? A cab to Rosewood is going to cost you at least 100 bucks…"

Hanna "I've got my credit card"

Sean takes his phone to his ear but as he waits for someone to pick up, Hanna changes her mind.

Hanna "Wait… I think I'll wait for a little longer… maybe Mona comes back and we can go home together"

Sean nods and puts his phone away.

Hanna "Do you mind if I wait here? I don't want to go back out there with Eric and all those people"

Sean "Sure… just sit down at least" he tells her, since she is still standing next to the bed.

Hanna goes around the bed to sit down on the edge at the other side.

Sean "Oh, come on, just get comfortable… it's me"

Hanna kicks her heels off and takes her legs up on the bed as well, resting her back against the headboard.

Sean "Why are you feeling so awkward?"

Hanna "I'm not awkward"

Sean "Doesn't seem so… you won't even lie down next to me"

Hanna "Maybe because I have a boyfriend and it's not okay for me to be sharing a bed with my ex?"

Sean smiles amused.

Hanna "What's so funny?"

Sean "Nothing" he says, still amused.

Hanna "No, now you have to tell me"

Sean "It's just that… Mona said that you had cheated on your boyfriend, so I don't get why you get so worried about this"

Hanna "Mona said that?" she asks very surprised. "When? That is not true"

Sean "Well, you should choose your friends more carefully then…"

Hanna "What did she tell you?"

Sean "She texted me at the party… she wanted me to go chat you up, dance with you, or something… I told her that I would love to, but that I had no chances with you… and well, she tried to convince me to go make a move on you by telling me that you weren't taking your relationship that seriously and that you had cheated on your boyfriend recently"

Hanna "I can't believe it" she says on the verge of tears, her bottom lip already trembling.

Sean "It's true… Wanna read the texts?" he offers his phone to Hanna. "I think she was just trying to get rid of you so she could go with Noel already"

Hanna shakes her head as her tears start emerging from her eyes. "What an idiot I am" she says, feeling used. Mona made her feel bad by telling her that she only went to her when she needed something but it was her the one that was trying to use her. Mona was just manipulating her into going to the party.

Sean "Well, I would like to tell you that you are wrong, but yes, you are a bit idiot for still trying to be friends with her… especially after what she did to you when we were in high school" he says and makes Hanna cry harder.

Hanna "You are so insensitive, Sean"

Sean "I'm sorry" he says while sitting up in the bed. "I hate when people cry… just don't know what to do" he reaches out and places a hand on Hanna's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

Hanna "Just text Noel again, please… tell him that I left. I don't want to see Mona"

Sean nods, and although Noel didn't even answer the previous text, he grabs his phone to message him again.

Hanna brings her legs to her chest and wraps her arms around them. They remain just like that for a while, in an awkward silence. Hanna shedding tears and Sean not knowing what to do. He eventually lies back down and falls asleep. And Hanna is left alone with her thoughts.

/

As soon as the sun raises, feeling a little bit safer in the light of day, Hanna decides that is time for her to go back to Rosewood. She wakes Sean up again and he calls her a cab.

Hanna "Thank you for everything, really" she thanks Sean after he opens the door of the car for her.

Sean "No problem"

Hanna "And I'm sorry for ruining your night"

Sean chuckles. "It's okay… I'm going to the grand opening of the nightclub tonight, so I'll have another chance… you are the only girl who seems to have discovered the secret to resist me after all… just make sure you don't spread the word" he gives her a cocky grin.

Hanna thinks that Sean's joke is quite lame, and she is feeling too down to fake a laugh, but he has been nice to her, so she forces a smile for him before getting in the cab. Then, she gives the driver the address of her house. Yes, she was supposed to go straight to Caleb's, but once again, she is feeling sad and doesn't want to go to him with her problems.

The ride is very quiet, there isn't much traffic and while staring out the window on the road, Hanna gets emotional again but still manages to hold her tears back. But it changes when they are only a few miles away from Rosewood and Hanna starts to see the woods. She can no longer hold herself together and so she stars to cry in silence again. By the time they get in the city, Hanna has changed her mind. She gives the driver Caleb's address and asks him to take her there instead. She feels sad, hurt, overwhelmed, and too tired, and as much as she has tried to get better in the last days, she hasn't succeeded. That's why she decides to give up and just go to Caleb for some comfort. She needs a rest and Caleb is her safe place. She wipes her tears away and tries to calm down before arriving.

/

Hanna rings the doorbell at Caleb's hoping that it wakes him up. He told her to give him a call, but once again, she has no phone. It takes a while, but Hanna doesn't give up and at some point, Caleb finally answers the door.

Caleb "Hey" he greets her half asleep. His hair is a mess, he is only in underwear and barefoot. "What time is it?" he asks confused while narrowing his eyes because the sunlight dazzles him and moves aside to let Hanna in.

Hanna "Hey… I don't know… I think it's around 8"

Caleb closes the door and turns to her. He scans her with his eyes from head to toe and notices that she is wearing the same clothes as the night before. That's when he remembers that she was supposed to come over after the party and stay the night with him.

Hanna "I'm sorry, I couldn't come earlier…" she tells him, as if she had just read his thoughts.

Caleb "It's fine…" he also notices now her sad face. "You okay, though?"

Hanna shakes her head no while looking at his face.

Caleb "What happened?"

She doesn't answer, she only approaches him and wraps her arms around his torso while resting her cheek on his shoulder.

Caleb "Where have you been?" he asks her after embracing her too. If she didn't come to his place after the party, but she is still wearing last night's clothes, that only means that she stayed out all night and didn't even go back to her own house.

Hanna closes her eyes and hugs him tighter. "Got stuck in Philly"

Caleb "In Philly? What were you doing there? What happened?" he asks her again.

That's when Hanna loses control of her emotions again and she can't hold her tears back.

Hanna "The party was in Philly" she says and Caleb realizes that she is weeping because of her trembling voice.

Caleb "What happened, baby?" he asks for the third time while rubbing her back.

Hanna "It's a long story…" she lifts her head from his shoulder and looks up at him. "Can we make love first and talk later?"

Hanna's question takes Caleb by surprise and so he gives her a spontaneous tender little smile.

Caleb "Sure" he whispers while wiping her tears away with one of his hands, since he is still holding her with his other arm. "But I need to know that everything is fine, that you are okay now… I mean, I know you are upset, but do I need to worry about something else?"

Hanna "No… it's just more of the same… and I really need you now. I'm tired of feeling like this and you always make me feel good"

Caleb finds her extremely cute and the way she is staring into his eyes while asking him to comfort her makes him feel useful, needed, and he loves to be there for his girl. He lets go of her and takes her hand to lead her upstairs to his bedroom.

As soon as they go through the door, Hanna gets rid of her heels, her feet were already hurting from so many hours of wearing them, and when she stands up straight again, Caleb is ready to help her with her dress, since he is already almost naked just in his boxers.

He kisses her neck while unzipping the dress and once it falls on the floor, he leaves her neck to kiss her mouth. Hanna hasn't stopped shedding tears and her tears get into the kiss, making it taste salty. But Caleb keeps going, hoping that at some point, she will stop crying.

Because of the way Caleb kisses her so passionately, the way his hands caress her skin so carefully and with every move he makes, Hanna gets more convinced that she did right by coming to him. The warmth of his body against hers feels amazing, being held by his arms makes her feel the safest she has ever felt in her life. But still she can't stop her tears, she just can't stop crying her eyes out, it's like she is not in control of it.

At some point, she feels Caleb pull away from her and she doesn't like the space between their bodies, but she quickly realizes that he only separated from her for a moment to be able to take her bra off. She was so lost in the pleasant moment that she didn't even feel him unhook it in the first place. But when her bra falls on the floor too, Caleb doesn't close the distance between their bodies, he takes her hand and leads her to the bed instead.

They get under the sheets and lying on their sides, they kiss for a while. But then Caleb pulls away from her mouth and stares at her. He brings his hand to her face and cupping her cheek, he caresses her softly with his thumb.

Caleb "Why don't you get some sleep and we resume this later?" he asks her softly. "You are too upset and you look exhausted… I'll hold you until you fall asleep"

Hanna "No… I want you now" she takes her mouth back to his and starts kissing him again.

But Caleb only pecks her lips briefly and pulls back again.

Hanna "I know I probably look terrible for so much crying and-"

Caleb "It's not that… and you know it… you are probably the only girl on earth who can cry her eyes out but still remain beautiful" he says and he means it. He has noticed that Hanna's eyes seem even more deep when they get watery and also the way her lips swell and become more reddish. "It's just that…" he makes a pause and looks away, avoiding her look. "I can't get hard with you crying like this… I just… I can't fuck you just like that when you are so sad" he looks back at her now.

Hanna "You know that what you just said makes me want you even more, right?" she tells him and wipes her tears away. "I'll try to stop, okay?" she says and takes a deep breath.

Caleb smooches her cheek as she keeps trying to calm down. "Why don't you just tell me what happened?"

Hanna "Because if I do, I'll end up crying even harder"

Caleb "That bad was it?"

Hanna "No…" she sighs and wipes her tears again. "It's just that… I don't know, I've been too emotional lately and probably some things that I wouldn't have given a shit about before, now hurt me way more than they should… anyway, I don't wanna talk right now"

Caleb "Okay" he says, very understanding, as always.

Hanna reaches down and places her hand on his crotch, he was right, she can feel that he is not even a bit hard while cupping him, but it's okay, because she hasn't done anything for him to get aroused yet and although he is always hard for her by the time she gets to touch him, she can't expect it to always be like that. "Let me take care of this, okay? Maybe if I focus on you, I'll stop crying already"

Caleb gives her a tender smile and gets closer to kiss her again. She seems much calmer now and having her hand squeezing him down there feels really good.

Hanna starts to pull down his underwear and so Caleb breaks the kiss for a moment to help her take it off. Hanna also takes the opportunity to take her panties off as well and it's a good idea because when she gets back to touching Caleb, he reaches down to do the same to her. And that's how the room starts to get filled by moans and groans finally. Hanna strokes his shaft gently, up and down in a perfect pace as Caleb rubs her, alternating the pressure that he uses on her while kissing.

Soon, they both are ready for more, Hanna is no longer weeping and Caleb is hard as a rock. He is the one who takes the initiative and moves onto her, placing his arms at each side of her to hold his weight up.

Caleb "Whenever you are ready, babe" he whispers to her, since his cock is still in her hand, and kisses her again.

Hanna spreads her legs while kissing him back and places his tip at her entrance. Then she takes both her hands to his low back.

The moment Caleb finally buries himself into her, Hanna has to break the kiss to let out a moan, and he can't help smiling proudly against her chin.

Caleb "Feels good?" he asks her, already thrusting in and out.

Hanna "Yeah… you are good" she connects their mouths again.

Caleb "You are amazing" he gives her a soft bite on her bottom lip. "So tight, baby" he lets out a long breath against her lips.

Right after that, he starts moving faster, increasing the pleasure for both of them. They remain in the same position all the time because it's simple, comfortable and very intimate, and that's what they both need at the moment. Caleb can be in control and please his girl and Hanna can enjoy the good sex despite her physical and mental fatigue.

Hanna notices that Caleb is close to come because his breathing is all a mess already and he reaches down with one of his hands to touch her.

Hanna "It's okay babe, I'm close too" she says out of breath and takes his hand away before he can even reach her clit. "Just keep going"

Caleb rests his arm back on the mattress for more stability and speeds his thrusting pace. He has Hanna moaning his name in no time and he doesn't take long to finish too.

Once they both are done, Caleb stops moving and rests his head on the pillow next to hers. He stays inside of her as they catch their breaths. It just feels too good, too intimate.

Caleb "Babe…" he says after some minutes, with his eyes still closed. But he gets no answer from Hanna, so he opens his eyes and looks at her.

Hanna is sound asleep with her arms still wrapped around him. Caleb smiles at her cuteness and carefully, he slides out of her and lies down on the mattress. He pulls the covers over her body and kisses her forehead. Then he turns to look at the time on his phone. It's about 9 in the morning, he has things to do, but he sets an alarm for an hour later and decides to stay with Hanna a little longer.

* * *

Guys! :) I'm back, I'm alive, and I had an amazing time on my trip to the US. I took long to update, but here is a very long chapter to make it up to you! This one was supposed to be two chapters, but I knew you would have hated me if I didn't include that Haleb part at the end. I promise that next chapter will be fully Haleb.

Many things happened in this chapter, things that I'll have to keep developing in the following ones, but don't worry, Caleb won't find out that Hanna was with Sean most of the night because of Mona or the girls, that's not what I have in mind. Anyway, I would like to know what you think, or what you would like to happen. I already know what I want, but I like reading you. Someone apologized for leaving a long review about the previous chapter, but I loved it, thank you :) thank you all for taking the time to leave comments, and for reading my story, of course!

Till next time!


	33. Chapter 33

When Caleb's alarm goes off only an hour after, he reaches out to turn it off quickly so Hanna doesn't wake up too, but when he looks at her, she is staring at him.

Caleb "Go back to sleep. I'll get in the shower"

Hanna nods and closes her eyes right away. She's exhausted.

Caleb kisses her cheek and gets up.

Half an hour later, when Caleb is dressed and ready to leave, he comes back to the bedroom accompanied by someone.

Caleb "Hey! Easy, buddy" he tells Chocolate in an attempt to calm him down.

The dog has seen Hanna and wants to jump on the bed already. Caleb is holding him back by his collar and only releases him once he seems calmer, but of course, as soon as he is free, Chocolate jumps on the bed next to Hanna and starts licking her face.

Hanna "Hey!" she smiles with her eyes still closed and wraps her arms around the huge dog's neck. "I missed you" she opens her eyes and looks at Caleb who is standing at the end of the bed. "Where was he?"

Caleb "In the backyard…"

Hanna "You made him sleep outside?" she asks while petting Chocolate's ears.

Caleb "No, he asked to go out himself… I think he gets too hot in here at night… I bought him a dog house and he loved it"

Hanna "Really? That's good"

Chocolate has finally settled down and now he is lying next to Hanna with his head resting on her chest.

Caleb "Yeah… anyway, he needs to stay in the house now because the guys that are working on my backyard are coming any moment now and they are bringing a digger to start excavating the hole for the pool"

Hanna nods. "Are you leaving?"

Caleb "Yeah… I have to meet up with the landscape gardener at some place to pick some plants... I really don't feel like going because I couldn't care less about which plants I'll have in my backyard, I told her to choose them herself, but she insisted, so…"

Hanna "She?"

Caleb "Yeah, she… why?"

Hanna shrugs. "I don't know, I just had assumed that your landscape gardener was a guy"

Caleb smiles at her and gets closer. "No, she is actually a really kind, fun, loving… fifty-something-years-old woman" he says while sitting down on the edge of the bed very close to her and gives her an amused smile.

Hanna chuckles. "I wasn't getting jealous, silly. I really thought she was a guy, I don't know why" she yawns.

Caleb "You could have pretended that you were a bit jealous at least" he jokes.

Hanna "Well, I have to admit that I like the fact that she is in her fifties" she smiles at him and reaches out to caress his cheek. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Caleb "No, it's fine… go back to sleep, I'll be back soon" he leans over her and pecks her lips before standing up from the bed. "Call me if you need anything" He tells her when he is about to leave the room.

Hanna "I don't have my phone"

Caleb turns around to look at her. "Really? Again?"

Hanna "Yeah… Mona has my phone, long story… anyway, just go, I'll be fine… I'll just go back to sleep"

Caleb "Okay… just remember that there will be people working outside, you'll probably hear noises… oh, and they have a key to the backyard gate, so they'll just let themselves in"

Hanna "Uh huh" she says as she closes her eyes and cuddles with Chocolate.

Caleb watches her from the door for a couple of seconds and then he leaves.

/

Caleb gets back home around an hour later, but he doesn't wake Hanna up this time. He lets her rest. And Hanna sleeps for hours. Caleb stays home the whole time but at some point during the afternoon, something comes to his mind and so he goes to Toby and Spencer's place for a moment and then comes back.

It's not until the evening that Hanna wakes up.

She stretches her arms and smiles at seeing the sleepy dog next to her. She is in a good mood, she has slept so well, for the first time in days she can say that she finally got some rest. She takes a look around the room, it's so peaceful and wherever she looks at, there are Caleb's stuff. His bed is just too comfy and the sheets also smell like him. She loves that place. In fact, she loves the entire house, she only has good memories in there, she feels completely safe there.

After staying in bed for minutes, petting Chocolate while enjoying the peaceful moment, she decides to get up finally. She is glad to find her bag on the bedroom chair because she is still naked. She puts on her short black nighty, makes a stop at the bathroom and then goes downstairs. Chocolate goes with her.

She finds Caleb in the living room. He is sitting on the couch. The TV is on but he is on his phone.

Hanna "Hey" she smiles.

Caleb looks up at her. "Hey" he smiles at seeing that she is smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

Hanna "Amazingly" she says while approaching him.

Caleb "That's great" he puts his phone away and Hanna sits down on his lap.

Chocolate lies down on the floor.

Hanna "What time is it?" she asks while wrapping her arms around Caleb's neck.

Caleb "Mm… like 6 in the evening"

Hanna "Oh, really?" she says surprised, she didn't know she had slept that much. "I'm sorry, I took over your bed"

Caleb chuckles. "That's okay" he places a strand of her hair behind her ear and then, cupping her cheek, he pulls her into a kiss.

They share a very relaxed kiss, barely touching each other's tongue, but it feels good, like every kiss of theirs.

Caleb "I made plans for us…" he tells her after pulling away from her lips. "Go change, I'll make you a sandwich because you haven't eaten anything in all day long and then we are leaving"

Hanna "Where are we going?" she asks very intrigued.

Caleb "It's a surprise"

Hanna "Tell me… I need to know what to wear"

Caleb grins. "Whatever you've got in your bag is fine"

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb "Yeah… look at me, I'm not dressed up… besides, it will be just you and me… and well, Chocolate…"

Hanna smiles again. "Oh, I like that" she places her hand on his chest and caresses him a little. "Can I take a shower first?"

Caleb "Sure"

Hanna "Good" she pecks his lips and stands up.

Caleb "Just hurry up, okay?"

Hanna "I'll try" she grins.

Caleb smiles back and watches her go. He loves when she wears his t-shirts, but he has to admit that she looks hot as hell in that sexy nighty of hers too.

Caleb "Wanna go out for a pee, Chocolate?" he asks the dog that has fallen asleep again on the floor but stands up in no time at hearing his question.

Caleb laughs. "Let's go"

/

Later.

Hanna and Caleb are outside the house, about to leave.

Hanna approaches him after getting Chocolate in the backseat. "So we are spending the night at some place…" she guesses at seeing that Caleb is putting her bag into the trunk and that he has also packed a little bag for himself as well.

Caleb "Uh huh"

Hanna "And it's a place where Chocolate is allowed in… right?"

Caleb "Of course, Han… just chill and get in the car. I'll be right back"

Hanna "Well, wherever you are taking me, I hope there's food because that sandwich you made me was really small and I'll be hungry again soon"

Caleb chuckles. "Yeah, we are having a late dinner there"

Caleb goes back into the house and then comes back with some grocery bags that he gets into the trunk too. Then he gets in the driver seat, buckles up, starts the car and pulls out.

Hanna leans against him resting her head on his shoulder.

Caleb "You are not going back to sleep, are you?" he smirks.

Hanna laughs. "Of course not… I just wanted to be close to you… I missed you"

Caleb "Mmm… you wouldn't have missed me if you hadn't been avoiding me for the last three days"

Hanna "I wasn't avoiding you… it just happened"

Caleb "How's that?"

Hanna "Every time I was about to come see you, something happened and I ended up in a really bad mood or feeling down. So I preferred to stay alone"

Caleb "Oh, come on, that's not even a good reason. You know you can always come to me"

Hanna sighs and sits up straight. "It wasn't that. I know you are always there for me… It doesn't matter, you wouldn't understand. I wasn't avoiding you, that's all you need to know"

Caleb "Okay, try to explain it to me then… talk to me"

Hanna "Caleb, you can't ask me to talk to you about my feelings when you don't even do it yourself"

Caleb "I've talked to you many times… actually, you are the only one I have ever opened up to. I've told you personal stuff, personal stories"

Hanna "I know, I don't mean that. I'm talking about the other day when you got really mad at me after getting back from DC"

Caleb "Han, we already sorted it out"

Hanna "Yeah, I know we did, but not because you told me how you felt. You didn't say a word about your feelings"

They fall silent and after a couple of minutes Hanna grabs Caleb's phone.

Hanna "May I put on some music?"

Caleb "Yeah…"

Hanna connects Caleb's phone to the car stereo and they remain silent, just listening to the music for a while. But at some point, Caleb reaches out and lowers the music.

Caleb "You are right… I won't push you to talk to me. That wasn't the idea anyway. I'm taking you away to have a nice time together. I think that's what you need right now… what we both need"

Hanna gives him a little smile and gets closer again. "I'll talk to you… just not now". She kisses his cheek and rests her head back on his shoulder. "So, where are you taking me?" she asks again.

Caleb grins. "I think it's obvious…"

Hanna "Well, I've no idea. Tell me"

Caleb "You'll realize when we are near there"

And Caleb is right, because later, when they are about to arrive, Hanna lifts her head from his shoulder and sits up straight.

Hanna "Spencer's lake house?" she smiles.

Caleb "Yeah"

Hanna "And she gave you the keys just like that? I thought she would be mad at me"

Caleb "Nah… well, she wasn't so happy last night when you cancelled on her, but it was no big deal. She was happy to lend us the lake house"

Hanna "Did you see her ultrasound prints?"

Caleb "Uh huh… To be honest, I couldn't see anything but strange shapes and what Toby and Spencer said was the baby was just a white spot… but they were so happy, so I just smiled like an idiot at the pics and congratulated them on their baby again"

Hanna laughs. "Don't be mean, they made that little white spot, that's why they were so happy"

Caleb "Yeah, I know… they seemed very proud. I just thought I was going to see an actual baby in the pics. That's all"

Hanna smiles at him. "I should probably go see Spence when we get back"

Caleb "Yeah, you should"

By the time Caleb pulls in the driveway, Chocolate is very excited in the backseat, looking out the window while barking and wagging his tail very fast. He has recognized the place and wants to get out of the car already.

Hanna grins. "Where are we, Chocolate?"

Caleb stops the car and looks at the dog too. "You happy, buddy?"

Hanna "He thinks the surprise was for him" she says while opening her door to get out of the car.

Caleb gets out too and opens the rear door for Chocolate. The dog jumps out of the car and starts running around, even more excited than before.

Caleb "He liked the surprise way more than you did" he tells Hanna at seeing Chocolate's happiness.

Hanna laughs. "I loved that you brought me here… I just don't have a tail to wag… but I can start running around like Chocolate if that makes you happy" she jokes.

Caleb grins and approaches her. "Or you could show me how much you liked it in another way…" he grabs her by the waist and pulls her to him.

Hanna smiles amused and wraps her arms around his neck. "Mmm… maybe like this?" she kisses him with such passion that there's no room for Caleb to doubt how much she appreciates what he did for her.

The sound of a splash makes them break the kiss some seconds later and they turn to look at the lake right away.

Hanna "Fuck, he got in the water already" she says at seeing Chocolate taking a swim.

Caleb laughs. "It's okay, let him enjoy himself"

Hanna "Yeah, but I'm gonna have to dry him before he gets in the house or Spencer will kill me if he ruins the couch… or the rug"

Caleb pecks her lips and then lets go of her to go get the things from the car trunk.

/

Later.

Hanna gets in the kitchen after having dried Chocolate with her hair dryer and a towel. Caleb is chopping vegetables while having some wine.

She goes sit on the kitchen countertop next to him. Caleb shoots her a tender smile and then focuses back on his task. Hanna watches him in silence. He looks so cute, all concentrated. She just can't take her eyes off of him.

Caleb "What are you watching?" he teases her.

Hanna "You" she smiles and reaches out to caress his hair.

Caleb "Wanna help?" he looks up at her.

Hanna grins. "I'm already helping you. I'm supervising you. I'll let you know if you do something wrong, but you are doing a good job so far"

Caleb smiles amused while remembering the day she 'helped' him paint his living room. She said exactly the same. "Right, I forgot that you had a 'special' way to help people" he rolls his eyes.

Hanna chuckles and jumps off of the kitchen counter. She stands behind his back and wraps her arms around him, hugging him from behind. "How can I help you, babe?" she presses a soft kiss against his neck.

Caleb smiles again. "I was just messing with you… I got this under control. We are having dinner soon"

Hanna "Good, I'm hungry" she releases him.

Caleb "Stay here" he says right away and causes Hanna to smile.

Hanna "I need to take my birth-control pill" she says while grabbing a glass. "Be right back"

Caleb "Oh, okay" he only says and keeps preparing dinner in silence.

Hanna pours herself some water and leaves the kitchen for a moment. When she comes back to the kitchen, Caleb's phone starts ringing on the kitchen countertop next to him.

Caleb "Seems like you are calling me" he jokes at seeing that someone, surely Mona, is calling him from Hanna's phone.

Hanna "Or you have another 'baby'" she jokes back at seeing that Caleb has changed her contact name and now it says 'Baby' instead of just 'Hanna'.

Caleb smiles amused. "Not possible… I already have the best" he extends his arm and wraps it around Hanna's shoulders, then he pulls her to him, hugging her from the side and kisses her temple as he stirs the food in the pan with his free hand.

Hanna "Yeah, I don't think I am the best, but anyway you are all mine… only mine" she wraps both her arms around his torso and cuddles against his side pressing her cheek against his chest.

Caleb "You are the best to me" he tightens his grip around her.

Hanna "No, let's be honest… I've been a shitty girlfriend… I mean, we just started dating and I barely pay attention to you… we should be like in a honeymoon, that's how the first days of dating should feel like… we should be all over each other and having sex every chance we get"

Caleb laughs.

Hanna "No, I'm serious" she looks up at him. "I think I've spent more time crying and you comforting me than we have spent kissing"

Caleb "Hanna, it's all right. You have a lot going on right now. And I don't care what we do as long as I get to spend some time with you… just chill. I couldn't be happier to be with you"

Hanna only shoots him a smile in response, then she takes one of her hands to Caleb's nape and pulls him closer to kiss his mouth.

Caleb lets go of the spoon he is holding in his other hand and places it on the countertop as he traps Hanna against the kitchen furniture. He kisses her back getting his tongue into her mouth from the beginning and although Hanna was only going to give him a gentle kiss, she is happy to turn it into a rougher kiss. She slides her hand underneath his t-shirt and caresses his back as they kiss for a while.

Hanna "You taste really good, babe… but I'm truly hungry" he tells Caleb when she ends the kiss, still caressing him softly, and smiles at him tenderly.

Caleb smirks. "I better get back to making dinner then" he pecks her lips once more and then lets go of her. "Aren't you gonna get that call?" he asks at seeing that Mona is calling again.

Hanna "No… I don't feel like talking to Mona right now"

Caleb grabs the spoon and takes a look at the chicken stir-fry that he is preparing. "I would ask you what happened, but I guess that's just another thing about last night that you don't want to talk about…"

Hanna "I'll tell you everything about last night, okay? I think you deserve to know why I didn't show up after having told you that I would spend the night with you…" she hugs him from behind again. "Just not right now, I feel so good and we are having an amazing time together… I just don't want to ruin it"

Caleb nods. "Dinner is almost ready" he says after trying the food.

Hanna "Okay, I'll set the table" she kisses his cheek and releases him.

/

Hanna "Babe! This is really good" she exclaims after trying Caleb's food.

They are sitting at the table in front of each other.

Caleb "I'm glad you like it" he shoots her a smile and has a bite himself.

Hanna "It's delicious"

Caleb "Wine?" he asks her after grabbing the bottle.

Hanna "No, thanks… I'll just have some water" she takes the water pitcher and pours her glass herself. She already had too much alcohol the night before and finds it disgusting at the moment.

Caleb "I've been thinking that now that I decided to stay in Rosewood, I'll need to get a job… Do you think your mom still wants to hire me?"

Hanna chuckles. "Why would you want to work at the Radley? You are too good, you could get a better job at some big company and earn more money"

Caleb shrugs. "It's not about the money, I just want to keep my mind busy, do something… and your mom needs someone to take care of the security system there… I'm not thinking about something permanent, I just thought I could give her a hand there and meet new people at the same time, make some contacts, and then see what happens"

Hanna "Okay, I'll talk to my mom. But I'm sure she will be really happy to hear this"

Caleb "Would you be okay with it though?"

Hanna "Of course, babe… why wouldn't I be?"

Caleb "I don't know… I would be working with your mom, maybe it was like too much, too invasive"

Hanna shakes her head. "Not at all…" she gives him a smile. "I would like it"

Caleb smiles back.

Hanna "I need to get a job too… I just don't know where to start looking for…"

Caleb "Why would you want to work for someone when you could make your own dresses yourself?"

Hanna "I can't just start a business, babe. I need a job first"

Caleb "Why not? You are very talented"

Hanna "Yeah, that's easy for you to say… but I don't even have the money to start"

Caleb "Han, when I first started I had literally nothing… you don't need much money, you could start making some dresses at home and then expand"

Hanna "Yeah… I'll think about it" she only answers to finish the subject there.

/

After dinner.

Hanna is doing the dishes because she refused to let Caleb do so since he already made dinner. Caleb shows up there in the kitchen when she is almost done.

Caleb "Wanna go for a walk, babe?" he asks and places his palms on her hips before resting his chin on her shoulder.

Hanna "Mmm… it's too dark already… let's just go outside for a while, we can go on a walk tomorrow" she places the last glass on the dish rack and turns the faucet off.

Caleb "Okay" he hands her the dish towel and after Hanna dries her hands, he takes her hand and leads her to the living room where he grabs a blanket from the couch.

Chocolate stands up from the rug where he was sleeping and approaches them.

Hanna "I'm sorry, baby. You can't come with us… we will be right back" she smiles at the dog and pets his head.

Caleb "Stay here, buddy" he orders Chocolate while opening the door to go outside.

They walk to the lake shore where Caleb spreads out the blanket on the ground and then they sit down on it.

Hanna "What a beautiful night" she says while looking up at the starry sky. "It's perfect" she adds while looking at the horizon in front of her, where the lake meets the sky.

Caleb "Yeah" he takes her hand again and intertwines their fingers. "Any night is a perfect night with you"

Hanna chuckles at his cheesy comment but doesn't say anything. She takes their joined hands to her lap and starts to caress Caleb's hand softly. They remain silent for a while, just enjoying the peace and the sound of the lake. But at some point, Hanna speaks.

Hanna "I should have stayed with you last night. I shouldn't have gone to that stupid party…"

Caleb looks at her. She is still staring at the amazing night landscape in front of them. He is about to say something, but before he can say a word, Hanna goes on.

Hanna "I wish I could pay someone to make decisions for me, it seems like I can't stop making bad choices lately"

Caleb "I would do it for free… here it goes my first decision, give your boyfriend a long kiss" he jokes.

Hanna looks up at him and shoots him a slight smile.

Smiling back, Caleb leans in to place some kisses on her cheek. "Wanna tell me about last night now?" he asks softly.

Hanna "Yeah…" she takes her eyes back to the lake and keeps caressing his hand on her lap. "There isn't much to tell anyway… it's just that… In the last days, I've been doing everything to get better, and last night I realized that it doesn't matter how hard I try, I just can't… I can't go back to normal"

Caleb "What happened? What made you think that way?"

Hanna looks back at him. "Remember the other night at my place when you left my bed to go for a glass of water and I freaked out when I woke up because you weren't there?"

Caleb nods.

Hanna "Well, it happened again yesterday. I was there at the party and I couldn't find Mona anywhere. The place was too crowded. I don't know why, but I got really scared and I started to feel that I couldn't breathe, that I couldn't move… I felt like I was going to die right there"

Caleb "And what did you do, Han?" he asks worried, with a frown on his face.

Hanna looks down. "I saw Sean and so I went to him… Please, don't get pissed off, he was the only-"

Caleb cuts her off. "It's fine, don't worry. Go on"

Hanna rests her head on Caleb's shoulder. "I was going to take a cab back to Rosewood because I knew that I couldn't count on Mona to take me back… but after what happened, I couldn't take a cab by myself. Besides, I was drunk and it also made me feel more unsafe. I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have drunk that much, but I did"

Caleb "Why didn't you call me?"

Hanna "Mona had my phone and Sean told me that she had left with Noel, the guy with whom she has been hooking up with, who also happens to be Sean's best friend. Sean told me that they were staying at Noel's brother's and so we went there. Mona wasn't there so I stayed with Sean to wait for her, but she never showed up and I took a cab in the morning when I felt better"

Caleb "She left you alone? No wonder you didn't want to answer her call today"

Hanna "I'm not mad at her for leaving me alone…. Well, in part I am… but she doesn't know what happened to me, she knows nothing. She had no way to know that I would start to panic for being left alone. But yes, she could have told me she would leave with Noel already, I wish she had given my phone back to me at least. But I'm pretty mad at her because she asked Sean to try to pick me up so she could be with Noel at the party. She told Sean that I had cheated on you to make our relationship seem less serious for him to make a move on me"

Caleb "What the hell is wrong with that girl? Is she fifteen?"

Hanna sighs. "Mona has some mental issues and she has done pretty fucked-up stuff in the past… but she is all right when she takes her meds, she is fine now. I don't know why she did what she did, but it hurt… I didn't even want to go to that stupid party, I did it for her. She told me that she would help me get a job so I felt like I had to do something for her too… and well, to be honest, I wasn't so excited to go to Spencer's either"

Caleb "Yeah, I noticed it" he starts to play with Hanna's fingers. "What's going on between you and the guys?"

Hanna "They piss me off"

Caleb "They are worried about you, Han. They care for you, that's all"

Hanna "I know… and I love them so much… but I wish they weren't so pushy. I want to forget what happened and they don't get it. They think they know what's good for me but they don't"

Caleb "Maybe if you just talked to them, they would understand you better… like I did"

Hanna "Yeah, I'll talk to them… I miss them"

Caleb lets go of her hand and moves his arm to her shoulders to hug her from the side.

Hanna "Anyway, I didn't mean to stand you up last night… I really wanted to be with you. I just got stuck in freaking Philly"

Caleb "I know, silly" he kisses the top of her head and squeezes her against his side.

Then they fall silent for some seconds before he speaks again.

Caleb "Now that you mention Philly, the girls went to a party there last night too"

Hanna "Really?"

Caleb "Uh huh… we were having some drinks and Alison said some guy had invited her to a party"

Hanna "You sure it was in Philly?"

Caleb "Yeah, Spencer was going to go too, but she decided to stay when Alison said it was in Philly… I can't remember this guy's name, but the girls said he used to throw parties at some cabin and now he was opening a nightclub"

Hanna "Eric Kahn?"

Caleb "Yes"

Hanna "So it was the same party I went… but I didn't see them there. Are you sure they went there? Maybe they changed their minds"

Caleb "No, I'm sure. Alison, Aria and Emily went to that party. They also invited me to come with them"

Hanna looks up at him with a smile on her face. "Really?"

Caleb "Yeah, but I told them you were coming over so I just went home… what's so funny though?"

Hanna "Not funny… I just love the way you get along so well with my girls" she is still smiling.

Caleb leans in and kisses her smile. "See? It wasn't so terrible to talk to me and tell me about last night"

Hanna "Yeah…" she only says.

Caleb "Unless there's more you aren't telling me…"

Hanna "No… it was just that. I know that what Mona did to me is way too silly to end up crying so much like I did. I shouldn't have given a shit about it… but I've been feeling so lonely lately that it hurt more than it should have. She made me feel betrayed, used, like she wouldn't mind throwing me under the bus"

Caleb "Lonely, Han? You have so much people who care about you"

Hanna "Yeah, I know. But still… it's like… I don't know. It's hard to explain. You wouldn't understand"

Caleb "It's the second time in the day you say I wouldn't understand something. Just try explaining it to me"

Hanna "Fine… it's like I feel so empty inside lately that even though I'm surrounded by people, I still feel alone. It started the other day at the hospital when the guys came visit me… they were there, talking about things, and I just wanted they all to leave already. And it's weird because I love them, but still. And remember this old friend I told you I ran into the other day at the mall?"

Caleb nods.

Hanna "We went for a coffee and we caught up with our lives… I don't remember a single thing of what he told me. I was happy to see him again and all, but I don't know… I just didn't care, I didn't pay attention to him. It was like being there but not being there at the same time"

Caleb "So you felt okay with Mona and that's why you were so hurt this morning?"

Hanna "No, I feel the same way while being with Mona. I've just been hanging out with her because at least I can pretend to be normal. Which I can't do with the girls because they won't let me forget about what happened… anyway, I know this all sounds way too absurd, nonsensical, that's why I don't expect you to understand me, I barely do it myself. I mean, I'm telling you that I feel lonely with people, it probably doesn't make much sense, but it's the way I've been feeling these last days"

Caleb "Believe me, Han… I understand you way more than you think" he takes his hand to her head and starts to caress her hair. "You just described how I have felt most of my life…"

Hanna lifts her head from his shoulder to look at him. "Really, baby?" she asks with a sad look upon her face.

Caleb nods.

Hanna "Have you ever felt that way while being with me?"

Caleb smiles right away at her cuteness. "No, never. It's been while since I stopped feeling that way and you will too, baby. I promise"

Hanna "I don't feel lonely when I'm with you either"

Caleb "Yeah?"

Hanna "Uh huh"

Caleb "Then why have you been avoiding me?"

Hanna smiles. "I told you I wasn't avoiding you"

Caleb "Well, okay, so why have we been without seeing each other for like three days? Why didn't you just reach out to me?" he rephrases the question. "And don't say again I wouldn't understand it, please"

Hanna sits up straight and so Caleb takes his arm off of her shoulders. He places his hand on her back instead and starts to rub her.

Hanna "It's just that you are doing so well, baby… your new house, the project for your backyard, you have made friends with the guys, you decided to stay here, you are happy… I didn't want you to have to put up with my shit. I don't want to hurt you again… I don't even want to treat you bad again and that's the first I do when I get pissed off, even if you have nothing to do with anything. I want to be a good girlfriend to you, someone who makes your life better, not someone who brings you down with her"

Caleb chuckles.

Hanna "Why are you laughing? Don't laugh" she shoots him a look.

Caleb bites his bottom lip, still smiling. "Okay, now you are saying nonsense" he takes her hand. "Hanna, you are clueless. I have all those things you just mentioned because for the first time in my life I feel at home. And that's thanks to you. You make me so much happy"

Hanna only stares at him.

Caleb "Stop overthinking, okay? Don't worry about me. I'm all right and you will be too. You will be okay"

Hanna "You think so?"

Caleb "I'm sure of it. You will get better with time. I told you"

Hanna "I just don't want to start to panic again. It was horrible there at the party"

Caleb "I think you should stop pushing your limits. Give yourself a break, Han. I understand that you want to forget what happened, but you can't pretend it didn't happen. It's been only a few days. Don't do things that you know you might not be ready to do. Try to do things that make you feel safe and before you know it, you will have gone back to normal"

Hanna nods while thinking of it. What Caleb just told her make a lot of sense to her.

Caleb "When is your mom coming back from London?"

Hanna "The day after tomorrow I think, why?"

Caleb "Because you are staying at my place until then"

Hanna "No, I can't do that"

Caleb "Why?"

Hanna "Because we just started dating, Caleb. You will get tired of me"

Caleb has run out of ways to make Hanna understand that she can and she should rely on him. So now he takes her face in his hands and makes her look at him.

Caleb "Hanna, I love you"

Hanna smiles slightly. "Really?"

Caleb "Yeah. How can you not know it?"

Hanna shrugs. "I don't know. You only said it once… and you thought I was unconscious… maybe you were feeling way too emotional at that moment and it just slipped out"

Caleb "Han, it was the first time in my life I told someone that I loved them. I'm not used to it. That's why I only said it once… and in an emotional moment"

Hanna "Really?" she asks again. Her eyes fixed on his.

Caleb "Yeah… maybe I should start saying it to you more often"

Hanna smiles. "No, I like that you only say it when you really feel like saying it. It makes it special. I wish I had saved all my "I love you's" only for you as well. I have wasted so many"

Caleb "I love you"

Hanna "I love you too, baby"

She takes her hands to his face as well and cupping each other's cheeks they start a passionate kiss. They make out for a long while. It's only love at first but as their kissing starts to get rougher and their hands start to explore each other's body, a very strong sexual desire joins their love and soon their breathings change and they both need more.

Hanna takes her hands to Caleb's shoulders and breaks the kiss. "Lie down" she tells him as she pushes him back gently.

Caleb lies down on the blanket and tries to pull Hanna down along with him but she stays sitting, so he looks at her expectantly. Hanna shoots him a smile as she takes her hands to his belt. Caleb licks his lips and looks down to his crotch. She unbuckles his belt and undoes his pants with such delicacy that she doesn't even touch a little any sensitive part and Caleb gets impatient to feel her do something down there, anything. Fortunately for him, Hanna pushes down his pants along with his underwear, enough to uncover him, and she grabs him in her hand.

Hanna "Spread your legs, baby" she instructs him this time.

And Caleb quickly does what she told him. Hanna giving him orders is such a turn on to him. Still holding him in her hand, she moves to sit down in the space between his legs, and once she is in her place, she starts to work on him. He props himself on his elbows to take a look. Hanna is using both her hands to give his cock a massage and it feels just as damn good as it looks. He gets hard in no time and so Hanna doesn't waste a second and lies down on her stomach right there where she is, between his legs. Caleb lets go a deep breath and bites his bottom lip hard anticipating what comes next. He tilts his head back and shuts his eyes the exact moment he feels Hanna's mouth around his cock.

Caleb "Shit" he whispers breathless as Hanna sucks on him.

He meets her eyes when he looks back at her and that eye contact stimulates him even more. Not to mention the sight of her delicate lips around him.

Caleb allows himself to enjoy Hanna's attention for a while, but then he sits up and cupping Hanna's cheek, he pushes her away gently.

Caleb "It's your turn now"

Hanna sits up and they kiss for a while, but when Caleb tries to lie her down, she stops him.

Hanna "I'm fine, I'm ready… I want you now"

Caleb smiles at her. "But you need some attention too or I won't last enough to make you come too, babe"

Hanna nods and pulls his head back to hers to get back to kissing. Since she is still sitting, Caleb takes the chance to pull up her top and they break the kiss again to take it off. Then they get rid of the rest of their own clothes, except for Hanna's underwear, she keeps that on because she wants Caleb to take it off himself. They are both on their knees in front of each other now, so Caleb wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her to him. He starts to kiss her neck at the same time he starts to brush his fingertips up and down on her back. He couldn't be more horny at the moment, but still takes the time to be affectionate with Hanna. And Hanna is aware of it, she can feel his erection pressed against her body and she appreciates the kisses on her neck, the caresses on her back and all the cuddling even more. At some point, one of Caleb's hands finally go to her bra and he unclasps it at the same time he starts to suck and lick on her neck making his kisses wetter. Hanna lets her bra fall on the blanket and takes her hands to Caleb's nape. She guides his head down with a gentle push and Caleb gets right away what she wants. He takes one of her breasts into his mouth and starts to do the same he was doing on her neck, but he pays special attention to her nipple, making sure to caress it properly with his tongue. Hanna's breathing is a mess and she wants more already, so when Caleb pulls back to switch to her other breast, she cups his cheeks and pulls him up to her mouth instead. She kisses him with such passion and desperation that Caleb decides to give her some relief right away.

Caleb "Want more?"

Hanna "Uh huh" she says while lying down on the blanket already.

Caleb takes off her panties and attempts to lie down on his stomach between Hanna's legs so his head is at the right height to please his girl, but she stops him.

Hanna "I don't want that, babe. Come up here"

Caleb "I just wanted to return the favor" he says while going back up as he was told. "Maybe when you feel completely comfortable with me, you will let me" he smiles at her while staring into her eyes. He is on top of her, holding his weight up with his arms at each side of her.

Hanna "It's not that, baby. I feel fully comfortable with you. I just don't like it"

Caleb "You haven't tried me yet" he starts to kiss her jawline.

Hanna "Just do something else, please"

Caleb "Sure, baby" he reconnects their mouths and reaches down between her legs.

Instead of teasing her for a bit, he goes straight to her already swollen clit and starts to rub her with two fingers. She whimpers into the kiss and so Caleb pulls away from her mouth to hear her, but Hanna becomes quiet the moment he breaks the kiss.

Caleb "Let me hear you, beautiful" he whispers to her.

Hanna presses her forehead against his and parts her lips to let go her soft moans.

Caleb "God, you drive me crazy, Hanna" he says and goes back to kissing her neck.

After some seconds, Hanna reaches down and moves Caleb's hand off of her. "You are gonna make me come right here, baby" she says while sitting up.

Caleb just answers with an amused smile.

Hanna places her hands on Caleb's chest and pushes him back gently, making him lie down on his back. She straddles him and slowly lowers her body getting him inside. She is so wet that Caleb slides into her very easily, and very soon, she is moving up and down.

Caleb's mind is blowing at such a view. He props himself on his elbows again and his eyes go straight to where his body is connected to Hanna's. That's the hottest thing he's ever seen and it only gets better when he looks up and sees his girl. Her shut eyes, her mouth slightly parted. Her entire body is exposed to him and when his eyes fix on Hanna's chest, he can't help but lie back down and use his arms to reach out and take her breasts in his hands instead of just using them to hold himself up.

Hanna moans become louder as she speeds up her pace.

Caleb "Damn it, Hanna… You move so… fucking good, baby" he says out of breath. "So good" he groans and keeps massaging her boobs.

Hanna opens her eyes to make eye contact with Caleb. His words have made her feel more self-assured than ever and so she keeps riding him, going as fast as she can and getting him as deep as possible.

At some point, Caleb feels the need to kiss her again and so he sits up straight when Hanna is still moving.

Hanna "Ahhh" she cries out and shuts her eyes.

Caleb "Fuck, I'm sorry, baby. Did I hurt you?" he pulls back right away.

Hanna "Fuck, no. It felt so good" she manages to say although her breathing is even more messy than before and wraps her arms around his neck to pull him back to her. "Stay here" She orders Caleb and goes even faster now that she is holding on to him.

Caleb looks down and gets right away why Hanna is suddenly so out of control. Now that he is sitting straight he has created a friction between their bodies and every time Hanna goes up and down, her most sensitive part rubs against his body. He wraps his arms around her low back to keep her as close to him as possible for her to have more pleasure.

Hanna "Shit, I'm close" she presses her cheek against Caleb's. She can't even kiss him.

Caleb "That's okay, Han… keep going, enjoy yourself, baby"

In no time, Caleb feels her tighten around his penis at the same time as his name starts to escape her lips non-stop. Her movements are uncontrolled and she tugs at his hair until she comes undone and rests her forehead on his shoulder.

She attempts to keep moving because she knows that Caleb hasn't finished yet, but he stops her.

Caleb "It's okay, stay still for a moment" He takes one of his hands to the back of her head and starts to stroke her hair.

Hanna stops moving and relaxes in Caleb's arms for a little while. And as soon as she catches her breath, she pulls back to look at her boyfriend.

Hanna "Thank you" she gives him a tender smile.

Caleb chuckles. "For what? You did all the job"

Hanna "You know why" she says while moving off of him. "Come on, it's your turn now" she grabs his arm to pull him down to the blanket with her.

She lies down on her back and Caleb gets on top of her. She wraps her legs around his waist right away and pulls his lower half down to her.

Caleb slides back inside of her very carefully. She is soaking wet after having come, which makes it very easy, but at the same time, she feels tighter for the same reason. "Please, let me know if this feels annoying to you, okay?"

Hanna nods and Caleb starts thrusting into her gently.

Hanna "Go faster, babe. I'm okay" she reassures him. Of course it doesn't feel as much pleasant for her as before, but it's okay.

Caleb speeds up his pace gradually, always keeping eye contact with Hanna, and only once he is completely sure he is not hurting her, he shuts his eyes and moves as fast as he needs to reach his climax too.

Hanna takes the opportunity to place kisses all over his face while caressing his hair. She feels so relaxed, so good.

Caleb "Han…" he barely says because he starts gasping.

Hanna can feel him throbbing as he finally unloads himself inside of her. Once he is done, he pulls himself out of Hanna and rests his face against her neck as he settles down. She can feel his hot breath on her skin.

Caleb "That was fucking good, Han" he finally says when his breathing goes back to normal. He reaches out and grabs his t-shirt.

Hanna "Yeah, I came before you did, that's crazy"

Caleb "Hey" he smiles amused. "Give me some credit"

Hanna chuckles. "I meant to say that I had never finished before a guy before"

Caleb "I know, I was just messing with you" he says still smiling and reaches down. He uses his t-shirt to wipe Hanna clean.

Hanna "Hey! I was gonna wear that!"

Caleb "You don't need any clothes. We are alone here… and you are perfect like this"

Hanna smiles at him.

He wipes himself clean with the t-shirt too and then puts it aside before lying down on his back next to Hanna.

Caleb "You think we can say this was our first date?"

Hanna turns on her side and rests her head on his chest. "Well, this is more like a romantic getaway, but it's been perfect. So yes, I would like to remember this night as our first date"

Caleb wraps his arm around her and takes his hand to her head. "Good" he caresses her hair gently. "You think you will let me go down on you on our second date?"

Hanna "Caleb!" she yells and places her index finger vertically on his lips to shush him. "Shut up!" she says amused.

Caleb laughs and opens his mouth to take her finger into his mouth. He starts to suck her finger.

Hanna "What are you doing?" she laughs too and takes her finger out of his mouth.

Caleb "Just showing you the things I can do with my tongue"

Hanna laughs harder. "You are an idiot" she raises her head from his chest and starts to kiss his mouth.

Caleb kisses her back and it's a smiling kiss since both of them are still pretty amused.

Caleb "Wanna go back inside?" he asks Hanna after a while as he rubs her back to keep her warm because he can feel that her skin is getting cold.

Hanna nods. "Yeah"

They stand up and pick up their clothes from the ground. Caleb grabs the blanket and places it over Hanna's shoulders to cover her. She shoots him a tender smile in response and they walk back to the house.

* * *

Well guys, that was a fully Haleb chapter just as I had promised you. Hope you enjoy it :)


	34. Chapter 34

Spencer's lake house. Night.

Hanna is already in bed when Caleb comes out from the bathroom and joins her. He turns off the bedside lamp and wraps one of his arms around Hanna's waist as he makes himself comfortable under the sheets, ready to go to sleep.

Hanna "We are going to sleep already?" she asks while snuggling with him.

Caleb "Why? You want a second round?" he smiles slightly, his eyes are already closed.

Hanna "No… I'm just not sleepy… can we talk a little?" she starts to stroke his hair.

Caleb "I'm pretty tired, babe…"

Hanna "Come on, just for a little while"

Caleb "Okay…" he says softly and yawns. "What do you want to talk about?"

Hanna "I don't know… anything"

Caleb remains silent, so Hanna speaks again after some seconds.

Hanna "Do you play any sport? I never asked you that"

Caleb chuckles. "I suck at sports, babe"

Hanna "Really? Doesn't seem so" she says while running her hand down his chest to his abs.

Caleb "I used to go to the gym when I was living in Allentown, I guess I'll have to find a new place to go in Rosewood"

Hanna "Toby goes to the gym, you should ask him"

Caleb "Yeah"

Hanna "I took pilates classes twice a week in New York, I should probably go back to that too"

Caleb "Huh"

Hanna "Maybe one of the girls joins me, I'll ask them…"

Caleb "Uh huh"

Hanna "I should also get Tinder on my phone" she tests him, suspecting that he isn't really listening to her.

Caleb laughs. "I'm listening to you, silly…" He tightens his grip around her waist. "I'm just too sleepy because some blonde girl woke me up early this morning and then took over my bed and slept all day long"

Hanna grins and takes her mouth to Caleb's neck where she starts to give him soft kisses with the purpose of awakening him a little, but although his breathing changes, instead of becoming any heavier or shallower as she was expecting, his breathing becomes deeper and slower as he relaxes. Hanna's kisses feel like a gentle caress and after a couple of minutes, Caleb is about to fall asleep.

Hanna smiles against his skin. "Sleep well, baby" she whispers tenderly, deciding to leave him alone finally.

Caleb "You too" he answers very softly.

It takes Hanna a while to go to sleep as well, but for the first time in days she feels happy and safe at the same time, so she manages to fall asleep eventually.

/

The following day is even better for Hanna. It starts with morning sex, since Caleb wakes up feeling a bit naughty, it goes on with a delicious breakfast that they prepare together and then they enjoy an amazing day outdoors with Chocolate.

They get on their way back home around 5 pm.

Hanna "He is exhausted" she tells Caleb after taking a look at the backseat where Chocolate is sound asleep.

Caleb chuckles. "He is like a kid" he looks at him on the rear-view mirror for a second and then focuses back on the road.

Hanna "Can we stop by at Mona's when we get to Rosewood? I need to get my phone back"

Caleb "Sure… Wanna give her a call? Let her know that we are coming" he hands his phone to Hanna.

Hanna "Yeah, I'll do that"

She takes Caleb's phone and calls Mona on her own phone, since she doesn't know Mona's phone number and Caleb obviously doesn't have it.

Hanna "Hey, Mona! It's me. I need to pick up my phone, are you home?... Yeah, I know you called me last night, but I was busy… Okay… in like twenty minutes? I think" she looks at Caleb and he nods. "Yes, I'll be there in twenty minutes… No, I can't stay, I'm with Caleb, I've plans with him… Okay, bye"

Hanna puts Caleb's phone away. "I can't believe her… she acts as if nothing had happened. She just invited me to stay for dinner"

Caleb "Just tell her to fuck off… You don't need a friend like her, you already have the girls"

Hanna "No, I can't do that"

Caleb "Why not?"

Hanna "She made a mistake, it's okay"

Caleb "It's not okay, Hanna. She left you in another city with no phone and no ride because the only thing that mattered to her was getting laid. Plus, the bullshit she told Sean"

Hanna "We've been friends for years. I won't stop talking to her because of what she did the other night. Besides, she has done worse things than that, but she has been there for me too, so it's okay. It's always been like this with Mona. I already know how it works"

Caleb "If you say so…" he only says and drops the subject.

Hanna "Can we stop by at my place too? I need to grab some clean clothes"

Caleb "Sure" he rests his palm on her thigh.

Hanna "I had an amazing time at the lake house… thank you" she says after some seconds of silence.

Caleb shoots her a smile. "Yeah, I did too"

Hanna gets closer and kisses his cheek.

Suddenly, Chocolate starts snoring in the backseat so they both burst out of laughter.

/

Caleb parks in front of Mona's apartment building and Hanna walks to the door. Mona answers over the intercom and a couple of minutes later, she shows up there.

Mona "Hi, Han" she greets her with a smile.

Hanna "Hey" she only says without smiling back.

Mona "I lost sight of you at the party!"

Hanna "I was in the ladies' room just as I had told you" she rolls her eyes. "Look, Mona, if you wanted to go with Noel already, you just needed to tell me. You didn't have to get rid of me the way you did. And you had my freaking phone in your purse!"

Mona "I didn't get rid of you, Hanna! And I forgot I had your phone, I just-"

Hanna "Mona, save it. I also know about what you have been telling Sean. That wasn't right" she grabs her phone from Mona's hand. "I have to go" she turns around to leave. "See you" she says as she starts walking back to Caleb's car.

Mona "Hanna, wait! Let me explain it to you. I was just messing with Sean, let's talk"

Hanna turns back around to look at her. "It's fine, Mona. Just stop doing those things. We are friends, you don't do those things to a friend"

Hanna gets back in the car and starts checking her phone. "Wow, I've got a lot of missed calls from Ali…"

Caleb "Maybe she saw you at the party" he starts the car and pulls out.

Hanna "Uh huh… all the calls are from that night. I'll just text her… actually, I'll text all the girls in the group chat. Maybe we can get together tomorrow"

Caleb "That's a good idea" he smiles at her. He is happy because Hanna seems to be doing much better finally.

Hanna's text: "Hey guys… I know I acted like a jerk the other day, I'm sorry. Let's meet up tomorrow! I've got so many things to tell you, we need to catch up… Oh, and I really want to see those ultrasound prints, Spence :)"

/

They stop by at Hanna's to grab her things and then they go straight to Caleb's place.

Hanna takes her bag upstairs and then goes back to the living room where Caleb is lying on the couch, using his phone. She sits down on the edge of the couch next to him.

Caleb "What do you want for dinner, baby?" he asks while wrapping his arm around her waist to hold her.

Hanna "Are you making dinner for me again?" she reaches out to stroke his hair and then she rests her hand on his chest.

Caleb "No…" he grins. "I'll just order something" he shows his phone to her.

Hanna "Oh" she smiles. "Anything will be fine, you know I'm not a picky eater" she caresses his chest through his t-shirt. "I'll go take a shower, okay?"

Caleb raises his eyebrows while smiling playfully. "I could use a shower too, you know?"

Hanna chuckles. "Okay, you can have a shower after dinner. Now take care of the food"

She leans forward to peck his lips briefly but Caleb takes his hand to her nape and kisses her hard.

Hanna pulls away from the wet kiss after a while. She is smiling amused and wipes her mouth with the sleeve of her top. "Be right back" she says, still smiling, and heads to the stairs.

/

After dinner.

Caleb gets in his bedroom after taking a shower. The TV is on and the lights are off.

Hanna is sitting in the bed. "This is weird… none of the girls has answered my text… Do you think they are mad at me?"

Caleb "I don't know, babe… I don't even know what exactly happened between you" he says while putting his underwear on.

Hanna "Nothing… we just argued and I kinda told them to go to hell… but it wasn't that bad, I've said worse things to you and you are still here"

Caleb smirks. "Don't worry, just talk to them tomorrow"

Hanna "But you saw them the other night… did they look that mad at me?"

Caleb "No…" he hangs his towel on the door and looks at her. "I mean… they didn't like that you canceled on them because of Mona, but they didn't get that upset. Well, Spencer maybe a little, but she was fine yesterday when I asked her if she would lend us the lake house, so don't worry, okay?" he gets in the bed with her and rests his back on the pillows, half sitting. "Don't start overthinking" he wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer to him.

Hanna "Okay" she rests her head on his shoulder. "Wanna watch a movie?"

Caleb "Sure"

Hanna reaches out for the remote.

Caleb "Just not a girly movie, please"

Hanna chuckles. "Fine. You can pick the movie, but I'm not watching any action movie where people do nothing but shoot each other and blow up cars" she hands him the remote.

Caleb "Deal"

Half an hour later, Caleb is really into the movie he picked and Hanna is bored AF.

Hanna "This movie sucks, Caleb" she looks up at him.

Caleb "No, it doesn't… it's actually pretty good" he answers without taking his eyes off the TV screen.

Hanna "Why don't we do something more fun?" she brushes her hand on his abs.

Caleb "Yeah, when the movie is over"

Hanna rolls her eyes and rests her head on his chest.

Caleb "I'll make it up to you, I promise"

Hanna "Yeah, you better"

Caleb laughs and tightens his grip around her shoulders, squeezing her against him.

Hanna smiles and fixes her eyes back on the TV screen, trying to give the movie a second chance but she is just not interested in it and so she gives up after a while and decides to rest her eyes for a moment. Being held by Caleb makes her feel relaxed and feeling relaxed makes her feel sleepy.

When the movie ends, Caleb leaves the TV on so it's not so dark.

Caleb "Ready to do something fun, babe?" he says and takes his free hand to her butt to give her a squeeze there.

But Hanna doesn't answer so he sits up a little to look at her and finds out that she has fallen asleep. He brings his hand up to her face and starts to touch her softly, tracing her features with his fingers. But Hanna doesn't even react to his soft caresses and Caleb decides to leave her alone. She looks so peaceful. He removes the extra pillows and lies down properly, holding Hanna against his chest with one arm. Then he turns the TV off and goes to sleep as well.

About an hour later, a loud sound coming from the ground floor of the house wakes them up. Caleb simply opens his eyes, but Hanna wakes up startled and just as it has been happening to her in the last days, her heart races before she can even wonder what is going on.

Hanna "What was that?"

Caleb "It's okay, babe… I'm sure it's nothing" he tries to calm her down right away at feeling her nails digging into his shoulders as she clings to him.

They hear another loud sound and there's no doubt that something is going on downstairs. Hanna tightens her grip around him, sticking herself to Caleb completely.

Caleb "It's fine, Han" he says as he reaches out to turn the bedside lamp on. He looks at Hanna and meets her frightened eyes. "It must be Chocolate" he assures her and presses a kiss to her forehead. "I'll just go check on him, okay?"

But Hanna doesn't let go of him. "You sure it was him?"

Caleb nods. "Chill" he says softly while rubbing her back. "I'm sure he's just trying to open the back door to go outside. He did the same thing the other night"

Hanna releases him after some seconds and so Caleb gets up from the bed.

Caleb "Be right back"

Hanna nods while sitting up and Caleb leaves the bedroom. She can hear him reprimanding Chocolate and sending him to sleep. She relaxes and lies back down, getting comfy under the sheets again. A couple of minutes later, Caleb comes back.

Caleb "I was right, he was trying to open the back door. Thank god I had locked it" he tells her while walking to the bed. "I turned on the air conditioner in the living room for him… I can't let him out, the backyard is a mess, it's full of stuff, he could get hurt" he gets in the bed and lies down next to Hanna. "You okay, though?"

Hanna "Yeah… I'm sorry, I just freaked out again"

Caleb gives her a tender smile. "It's okay, Han" he kisses her cheek. "Let's go back to sleep"

Hanna turns to lie on her side. Caleb turns off the bedside lamp and then gets close to Hanna to spoon her. He wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her to him, sticking their bodies together.

Hanna "Please, let me know if you get up to use the bathroom or something" she asks him while taking his hand.

Caleb "Uh huh" he kisses her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm right here"

/

Morning.

When Hanna wakes up, Caleb is no longer in bed so she gets dressed, puts her hair in a bun, and goes downstairs. She finds him in the kitchen, making some coffee.

Hanna "Hey" she greets him and approaches him.

Caleb "Morning" he shoots her a smile and pecks her lips. "I was just about to go wake you up with a cup of coffee"

Hanna "If your idea of making it up to me for choosing a shitty movie over having sex with me is a crappy cup of coffee, then you are screwed"

Caleb laughs out loud and starts to pour her a cup. "First of all, it wasn't a bad movie, secondly, I didn't choose it over having sex with you, I'm not that stupid, I was gonna do both… and thirdly, I attempted to make it up to you, for the wait, not for choosing any movie over anything" he makes it clear. "But you, old lady, had fallen asleep" he hands her the cup.

Hanna "Yeah, sure…" she says and takes a sip of coffee. "For all I know, you are in the doghouse with me"

Caleb chuckles and goes stand behind her back. He wraps an arm around her waist as he moves her hair aside with his other hand. "And what can I do to get out of there?" he starts to kiss her neck.

Hanna smiles. "Well, kissing your way out of it seems to be working" she takes her hand to his face to caress his cheek as he keeps kissing her neck.

Caleb "Yeah?" he asks against her skin and gives her a soft bite before going back to kissing.

The doorbell rings interrupting their cheesy moment.

Hanna "Are you waiting for someone?" she asks as Caleb pulls away from her neck and releases her.

Caleb "Yeah… It must be my contractor. We have a few things to discuss"

Hanna "Oh, Okay… I'll leave you alone, then… where's Chocolate?" she asks as they both leave the kitchen.

Caleb "Toby and Spencer's backyard… I had to leash him in the porch earlier because he wanted to be outside and Toby saw him and offered to take him there" he heads for the front door.

Hanna "That's great. Toby is so kind" she heads for the stairs, carrying her cup of coffee.

Caleb "Yeah"

/

Afternoon.

Spencer gets home from work. She goes upstairs to the bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes like she usually does, and finds Toby there, changing into his police uniform.

Spencer "Are you leaving already?" she asks as she puts her purse away and kicks off her shoes.

Toby "Yeah… I'm working extra hours today. I have to cover for someone…"

Spencer "I hate your night shifts"

Toby "I know, but it's just this week" he approaches her, grabs her face and kisses her mouth tenderly. "How was work?" he asks when he pulls away.

Spencer "It was okay… quiet day"

Toby "That's good"

Spencer "Uh huh" she sits down on the edge of the bed.

Toby "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, Chocolate is in the backyard"

Spencer "Oh, really? I'll go say hi to him"

Toby "Yeah… Caleb's backyard is a mess, so I brought him here… Caleb is picking him up later"

Spencer "Caleb has been taking care of Hanna's dog for days now"

Toby looks at her and notices that it wasn't just a comment, Spencer means something else. "Yes, what's the problem?"

Spencer "Don't you think he is moving too fast with Hanna?"

Toby "What do you mean? They are dating… and Chocolate has been always in the middle anyway, not just now… maybe Hanna let Caleb keep him for a few days, I don't know"

Spencer "I'm not only talking about Chocolate… I think Caleb is way more into that relationship than Hanna is"

Toby looks at her confused. "How so?"

Spencer "I don't know, I just don't think Hanna is taking their relationship as serious as he is. Maybe you should talk to him"

Toby "Spence, what's going on?"

Spencer "Nothing… Just tell Caleb to move a bit slower with Hanna. He is so nice, I don't want him to end up hurt… and Han… she just broke up with Jordan, I don't know if she is in the same place as Caleb…"

Toby stares at her. "Come on, just tell me what's going on. Just two days ago you lent Caleb the lake house to take Hanna there. And now you are telling me this? You know something you aren't telling me"

Spencer "Okay, fine. I do know something… but I can't tell you"

Toby "Yeah, well. I'm not talking to Caleb without knowing what's happening" he tells her as he sits down next to her on the bed to tie his shoes.

Spencer sighs. "Okay, but you can't tell this to him, or to anyone… promise me you won't say a word"

Toby "I won't talk about this with anyone, Spence. I'm not a girl"

Spencer "Okay… The girls saw Hanna at Eric Kahn's party in Philly. She was with Sean and she left the party with him. I didn't learn about this until yesterday, Alison told me. I knew nothing when Caleb came here the other day"

Toby "Oh, come on. It doesn't mean anything. Maybe Sean just gave her a ride or something… Maybe it wasn't what Alison thought it was"

Spencer "Toby, that night Caleb went home early to wait for Hanna because she was supposed to come over, and she was at a freaking party in Philly. Besides, the girls are sure of what they saw. Aria and Emily were there too. They even tried to stop Hanna but they lost sight of her. Hanna slept with Sean after the party, it's a fact"

Toby "You sure?"

Spencer "Yeah… there's proof of it. I can't tell you the details, but Alison told me something that doesn't leave much room for doubts"

Toby "So Hanna cheated on Caleb with Sean…"

Spencer "I don't know if we can say that she cheated on him… I didn't have the chance to talk to Hanna about Caleb. Maybe they aren't officially together yet"

Toby "Caleb told me they were dating"

Spencer "Maybe he thinks they are dating but they aren't"

Toby "Well, either way, you need to talk to Hanna. I can't just go to Caleb and tell him to slow it down with her just like that"

Spencer "Yeah… it's just that… I don't know if I want to talk to Hanna right now… I'm kind of pissed off at her. And the girls are upset too. I mean, we understand that she is going through a hard time, but still. She can't just go around treating people like shit. We were just trying to help her. And well, I can't believe what she did to Caleb"

Toby "Yeah… dating or not, the guy did everything for her. He has been taking care of her since the moment we found her in the woods. I think he is pretty much in love with her. And she just screwed it up"

Spencer nods. "I care about Caleb, but Hanna is one of my best friends. She made a mistake, but if I have to take sides here, then I guess I'm on her side… but still, I can't help being mad at her at the same time"

Toby "You and the girls have to talk to her, Spence. I won't talk to Caleb. This is none of my business"

Spencer "Fine, you are right… but I have to cool off first. I don't want to talk to Hanna being pissed and make things worse"

Toby stands up from the bed and presses a kiss on her forehead. "I have to get going, babe. Don't wait for me up, I won't come home until after midnight"

Spencer nods. "Be safe"

They share a brief kiss and then Toby leaves.

Spencer grabs her phone and gets a group text from Aria that has been sent to Alison and Emily as well: "Guys, we need to talk to Hanna. We can't put it off any longer"

Emily: "Yeah, I agree with Aria. I feel so bad for not having answered Hanna's text yesterday"

Spencer: "I don't know guys… I don't feel like seeing her right now. Maybe in a few days. What she did to Caleb really pisses me off. I just talked with Toby, he told me that Caleb told him that they were dating. I don't know if that's true, but she slept with Sean and right the following day, she was back with Caleb as if nothing had happened. What is with her?"

Emily: "I feel bad for Caleb too, Spence. Believe me, I was with him the night Hanna went missing, I saw the way he despaired at not finding her anywhere. How frustrated he was. Well, I think we all saw that. But Hanna is Hanna. She is my best friend. I want to clear the air ASAP"

Alison: "I'm sorry, but I'm with Spence. I won't say a word about what she did, I'll keep the secret for her because it's obvious she is not planning to tell Caleb what she did. But I won't feel sorry for her either. What happened to her was terrible, but we tried to help her and she not only told us to fuck off, but also took distance from us and started to hang out with freaking Mona. I'm pissed off and I'm not talking to her for now"

Aria: "Oh, come on guys! What are you? Thirteen years old? Let's just talk to her like the adults we are"

Alison: "I don't see the point in talking to her. What do you want to tell her? To stop cheating on Caleb? She is gonna tell us to go to hell just like she did when we tried to talk to her about getting an attorney and going to the police"

Emily: "Why don't we get together tomorrow and talk this through? Just the four of us. If you still don't want to talk to Hanna, then I'll do it by myself"

Alison: "Fine. Let's meet up tomorrow"

Aria: "Yeah, that sounds good, Em"

Spencer: "Okay, tomorrow at The Brew, then? I'll be off work by 3"

Emily: "Perfect"

/

Hanna is chilling on Caleb's couch, watching some TV, having snacks. He shows up in the living room.

Caleb "What's up, Han?" he lifts her legs up, sits down on the couch and puts her legs back down on his lap. "You seem worried" he starts to stroke her bare legs with both his hands, since she is wearing a short dress.

Hanna "Nothing… I'm just bored. And the girls don't talk to me" she sits up and wraps her arms around Caleb's neck.

Caleb "Wanna do something? We can go for Chocolate and go on a walk"

Hanna "Yeah, I want to go get him… but I don't want to go for a walk"

Caleb "A drive, maybe?"

Hanna nods. "Yeah, that sounds better" she shoots him a little smile.

Caleb "Okay, I'll go for Chocolate then"

Hanna "Actually… I'll go get him myself. I want to see if Spencer is home and maybe talk to her for a bit. I need to know what's going on because it looks like they all are ignoring me" she says while running her hand through his hair, caressing him.

Caleb "Okay, but… can I have a kiss first?" he gives her a squeeze on her thigh.

Hanna smiles and leans in right away to connect their mouths. And they kiss for a while, well, they make out, since there are a lot of caresses involved. But at some point, Hanna pulls away from his lips.

Hanna "Well, I better get going or we will never leave this couch"

Caleb chuckles. "That's okay with me" he says and gets back to kissing her.

Hanna kisses him back for a moment, but once again she pulls away, and this time, she also gets up from the couch. And that's when something pops into her head.

Hanna "Oh, I wanted to ask you something… My mom is landing in New York around 9 tonight… and she won't get home until past 11. Ted is picking her up at the airport. Wanna have dinner at my place and wait for her with me?"

Caleb "Sure"

Hanna "Good" she smiles at him. "Be right back, boo"

Caleb laughs at the cheesy nickname. "Boo?"

Hanna "Yeah, you are my boo" she says while heading for the front door, and leaves Caleb smiling like an idiot.

/

Spencer "Hey" she hardly greets Hanna after opening the front door.

Hanna "Hey, Spence" she smiles slightly.

Spencer "Hold on, I'll go get Chocolate" she turns around to go back into the house.

Hanna "Wait" she stops her and Spencer turns back to her. "I'm sorry about the other day… I promised you I would come to dinner and I didn't show up. I would love to see those pics of your baby now… if that's okay with you"

Spencer "Yeah, well… I'm kind of busy right now, maybe tomorrow" she only says and walks away, leaving Hanna standing at the front door.

Hanna crosses her arms over her chest and looks down. She gets lost in her thoughts as she waits for Spencer to come back with her dog. She is a million miles away and doesn't notice that Caleb has come out of his house to wait for her by his car, but now is approaching her.

Caleb "Hey, you okay?" he puts his hand on one of her shoulders.

Hanna looks up at him. "Yeah… Spencer went get Chocolate, I'm just waiting"

Caleb "Aren't you going to talk to her? Take your time, we can go out later"

Hanna "No, it's fine…" she takes Caleb's hand from her shoulder and intertwines their fingers. "She doesn't seem to feel like talking to me anyway"

Caleb parts his lips to say something but Spencer comes back and so he chooses to stay silent. Chocolate comes out the door and leaps at Hanna to greet her.

Hanna "Hi, baby" she smiles at her dog and pets his back.

Caleb "Hi, Spence" he greets her warmly as always.

Spencer "Hey" she smiles at him slightly, but then she can't help fixing her eyes on Hanna's and Caleb's joined hands and she feels sorry for Caleb right away. Her little smile fades away.

Caleb "Well, I'll go get Chocolate in the car" he tells Hanna and lets go of her hand. "See you around, Spence… Come on, Chocolate, let's go" he leaves with the only intention of giving Hanna another minute alone with her friend.

Hanna "Look, Spence. I know you are pissed off and so are the girls because none of you have even answered my text. But I can't do anything but apologize to you, which I already did. And to be honest, I don't think I've done something so bad for you to ignore me like this"

Spencer "It's not like that, Han… we aren't ignoring you. It's just that…"

Hanna "What, Spence?"

Spencer "Look, this is not a good time… but maybe we can get together tomorrow"

Hanna only nods and just walks away.

Caleb is waiting for her by the car.

Hanna "Let's go, babe" she says while heading for the passenger door.

Caleb "Is everything okay?"

Hanna "Yeah… I don't know what's with Spencer, but I'm not shedding any more tears. I'm done being sad. Let's go" she gets in the car.

Caleb gets in the car as well and they leave. Hanna stays silent, just staring out the window. Caleb notices that she looks a bit sad despite what she just told him.

Caleb "Wanna go for some ice-cream?"

Hanna looks at him. "Sure" she shoots him a little smile.

Caleb smiles back. Food always cheers her up.

* * *

Hi guys :) I'm glad you loved the previous chapter. Hope you like this one as well! Greetings!


	35. Chapter 35

Evening. Hanna's place.

Hanna and Caleb are hanging in the living room after dinner. They are sitting on the couch next to each other, one of Caleb's arms is over Hanna's shoulders. Chocolate is sleeping on the floor next to his dog bed. They have been talking about random stuff for the last hour.

Hanna "So, how is it going your backyard? What did the contractor tell you today?"

Caleb "It will be ready in three days" he says with a happy smile on his face.

Hanna "Really? That's great"

Caleb "Yeah… I should buy the garden furniture in these days. You are giving me a hand with that, right?"

Hanna "Sure. We can go to the store tomorrow if you want" she smiles at him. "What do you have on mind?"

Caleb "Mmm… a table, chairs and a grill for the deck… a couple of loungers for you to sunbath by the side of the pool with no top on while I grill something… and a couch for making out with you before getting in the hot tub"

Hanna laughs. "You have it all figured out" she gives him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "And what is the hot tub for?" she asks playfully.

Caleb bites his bottom lip and grabs her by the waist to pull her onto his lap. Hanna straddles him and wraps her arms around his neck.

Caleb slides his hands underneath her top. "The hot tub is for making love to you" he whispers into her ear while rubbing her back with both his palms, running them up and down on her soft skin. "Over and over again…" he places a kiss behind her ear.

Hanna "Really?"

Caleb nods. "I'll fuck you in there until our fingers get so wrinkled that we have to get out of the water…"

Hanna takes his face in her hands, ready to start a passionate kiss.

Caleb "Or until you get hungry, whatever happens first" he jokes.

Hanna rolls her eyes and lets go of his face. "You just ruined the atmosphere… I was getting so horny"

Caleb "You were?" he smiles proudly. "You like being talked to like that?" he runs his hands down the sides of her torso and rests them on her hips.

Hanna "No"

Caleb laughs and buries his face into the crook of her neck. "Yes, you do"

Hanna "Whatever, you just ruined it"

Caleb starts to lick and kiss her neck. "Mmm… I don't believe you" he can feel Hanna's breathing getting heavier, she is definitely still in the mood. And so is him, getting Hanna horny is such a turn-on to him. "Anyway, if you want me to stop, just say it" he teases her, still working on her neck.

Hanna pulls away from him, and for one second, Caleb actually thinks that she is gonna make him stop, but she takes the edge of her short dress and pulls it over her head.

Caleb smirks. "I thought so" he says while helping her take the dress off.

After getting rid of her dress, Hanna takes Caleb's face in her hands again and starts to kiss him very hard. And having Hanna sucking on his lips and invading his mouth with her tongue with such desperation takes Caleb to the same arousal level as her. He drops his hands to her butt and he presses her against his crotch.

Hanna pulls away from the kiss after a while and unbuttons Caleb's shirt. "Let's go upstairs" she says while taking it off.

Caleb lets go of her and they both stand up. Chocolate gets up from the floor right away too, ready to follow them wherever they go.

Hanna looks at him. "Stay here, baby" she orders him as Caleb takes her hand to lead her to the staircase.

But of course, Chocolate follows them upstairs and then to Hanna's bedroom where he jumps on the bed.

Hanna "Babe, I can't do it with him right here" she tells Caleb who is already taking his jeans off.

Caleb "Wanna go out, buddy?" he asks the dog as he kicks off his shoes.

But the dog ignores him and lies down across the bed, occupying most of it.

Caleb "Oh, come on, Chocolate… let's go" he tries again, but Chocolate only stares at him from the bed and doesn't move at all.

Hanna smiles amused at seeing Caleb frowning in frustration.

Caleb "He must be doing this on purpose, he always wants to go out" he tells Hanna and looks back at Chocolate. "Come on, buddy, let's go out… don't cockblock me like this"

Once again, Chocolate remains in his place.

Caleb "Let's just go to the guestroom, Han" he suggests, giving up.

Hanna chuckles. "Hey, Chocolate! Want a treat?"

Chocolate jumps off the bed right away and goes straight to Hanna. She shoots Caleb a cocky smile and leaves the room with Chocolate.

Only a couple of minutes later, she comes back.

Caleb "Why didn't you do that in the first place?"

Hanna smiles amused. "Because it was really fun to see you so frustrated… and so horny"

Caleb "Oh yeah?" he approaches her and grabs her by the waist. "Well, that's what you do to me" he tells her at the same time as he takes her hand and places it on his bulge so she can feel how turned on he is through his underwear.

Hanna starts to graze her hand over his package, causing Caleb to shut his eyes and look for her mouth. They kiss as they walk to the bed and before lying down, Hanna takes off Caleb's boxers.

They just lie down over the covers and while kissing, Caleb gets rid of Hanna's underwear as well. Now that they both are completely naked, he pulls her legs apart and gets on top of her, and when he does so, his cock brushes against her and both of them let out a sound of pleasure.

Hanna "Do that again, babe"

Caleb lowers his lower half and starts to rub his length against her center. He locks eyes with her for a few seconds but then Hanna takes her hands to his cheeks and pulls his head down to hers to kiss him again. Even though he would like to just push himself into her already, he goes on with the foreplay for a while just to please his girl. Supporting himself with only one arm, he uses his other hand to massage Hanna's breasts gently.

Caleb "Ready?" he asks her at some point.

Hanna nods. "You know I am" she whispers and smiles shyly. She couldn't be wetter and she knows that Caleb is pretty aware of it, he can feel it.

Caleb smiles back and connects their mouths again in a very passionate kiss at the same time as he positions himself at the right place and buries himself into her. It doesn't matter how many times he has been with Hanna already, feeling her skin to skin still feels new to him and just as pleasant as the first time, he loves how warm and soft she feels without the barrier of a condom. He never thought he would ever trust someone enough not to use one, taking the risk of knocking someone up by accident was never an option to him.

Caleb breaks the kiss to be able to move faster. "I don't want this to stop" he whispers into her ear. "You are just perfect for me" he adds and Hanna feels like her heart could explode with love any moment.

/

Later.

Hanna and Caleb are back in the living room. They are lying on the couch, cuddling. Caleb is watching TV and Hanna is about to fall asleep on his chest.

All of a sudden they hear the front door open so they sit up. Caleb smiles at Hanna at seeing her cute sleepy face and presses a kiss on her cheek.

Ashley "Hanna?" she yells while stepping into the house.

Hanna and Caleb get up from the couch and go to the front door.

Hanna "Hi, mom" she smiles widely at seeing her mom after so many days. "I missed you" she goes hug her.

Ashley "I missed you too, sweetie" she says while hugging her back.

Hanna stays in the embrace and rests her head on her mother's shoulder.

Ashley chuckles. "You really missed me!" she can't remember the last time Hanna hugged her like that, so she is a bit surprised, but she loves it. She doesn't know everything Hanna went through when she was away, how much she needed that hug, but she holds her tight as if she knew.

Ashley "Hi, Caleb! How have you been?" she greets Caleb, still holding Hanna.

But Hanna pulls away from the hug at remembering that her boyfriend is still there and she just left him hanging.

Caleb "Hi, Mrs. Marin… How was your trip?"

Ashley "It was very nice… I took a few days off work and went visit an old friend. We toured many places" she shoots him a kind smile. "Why are you back to calling me Mrs. Marin? Just call me Ashley"

Caleb smiles slightly and nods.

Hanna "Did you get me many presents?" she asks while casually taking Caleb's hand.

Ashley rolls her eyes. "That's what the hug you just gave me was all about?" she jokes.

Ted shows up carrying Ashley's baggage and greets them as well. Then they all go to the living room where they keep chatting and Ashley tells them a little more about her trip as Hanna opens her presents, of course.

It's a few minutes past midnight when Caleb tells Hanna that he has to go and so she walks him to the door. They go out and close the door for more privacy.

Caleb grabs Hanna by the waist and pulls her to him. She rests her palms on his chest and they share a romantic soft kiss.

Hanna "Thank you for all these days, Caleb" she wraps her arms around him to hug him tight. "You are so good for me"

Caleb hugs her back even tighter, he loves that closeness with her. "Fuck, I want to take you back home with me so bad" he whispers into her ear.

Hanna smiles against his shoulder. "I can't leave, my mom just got back… but you can stay here if you want…"

Caleb takes his hand to her head to stroke her hair. "I can't, your mom just got back" he chuckles.

Hanna laughs and pulls back a little to look at him. "You don't want to stay the night because of my mom? She invited you to stay when your house got flooded"

Caleb "Yeah, and I didn't stay that time either. Anyway, it was different, Han… we weren't together back then and I was going to sleep in the guestroom… it would be weird now…"

Hanna smiles amused. "I'm an adult, babe… it's not like when I was 15 years old and boys weren't allowed upstairs. She is okay with it now"

Caleb "Maybe next time" he gives her a tender smile and presses a kiss to her forehead. "I have to be home early in the morning because of my backyard anyway"

Hanna "Okay… I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then" she takes her hand to his face and starts to caress his cheek with her thumb.

Caleb kisses her mouth again. "Call me if you need anything, okay? Any time"

Hanna nods.

Caleb lets go of her and starts walking to his car.

Hanna "Wait" she says and he turns back around. "Don't you want to take Chocolate with you?"

Caleb "No, it's fine"

Hanna "You sure?"

Caleb "Han, I can't have him at my place for now… not until my backyard is ready and safe for him again… besides, I think you could use his company tonight"

Hanna "Okay… night, baby"

Caleb "Good night, beautiful… sleep well"

/

Next morning.

Ashley wakes Hanna up early to have breakfast together before leaving for work. They are sitting at the kitchen table.

Ashley "So… you and Caleb are together now…" she says and takes a sip of coffee.

Hanna "Yeah, we are" she smiles.

Ashley "And what about Jordan?"

Hanna "I broke up with Jordan, just like I told you I would"

Ashley "I know, sweetie. I meant to ask how it went… the break-up. You told me he was avoiding you"

Hanna "I had to go to DC myself. It was awful… I would rather not talk about it, mom"

Ashley "Okay, just tell me about Caleb, then"

Hanna grins. "There isn't much to say, mom. I just love him"

Ashley "So you are staying in Rosewood for good?" she asks with a smile on her face.

Hanna "Yes, I am… if you don't mind that I move back in here until I get a job…"

Ashley "Oh, please, this is still your house, Hanna. Of course you can move back in… besides, I love having my baby back with me"

Hanna "Thank you, mom" she smiles again. "I also wanted to talk to you about that job you offered Caleb…"

Ashley "Uh huh…"

Hanna "Do you still want to hire him? Because we have been talking and he wants to work"

Ashley "Yeah, of course. We still need to improve the security system at the Radley… I had asked my assistant to start looking for a security company to outsource it since Caleb wouldn't do it, but he is still my best option… I'm glad he changed his mind"

Hanna "Yeah… it's just that he hadn't decided to stay in Rosewood when you first asked him"

Ashley "Just tell him to come see me at the Radley tomorrow"

Hanna nods.

After Ashley leaves for work, Hanna goes back to sleep. She hasn't had a good night since she had trouble sleeping. Of course, it wasn't as bad as those nights that she spent alone before staying at Caleb's, but still.

/

Afternoon.

The doorbell wakes Hanna up and she sits up in the bed completely startled, just as it has been happening lately. She can also hear Chocolate barking downstairs, she didn't even realize that he had left her side. She gets up from the bed and goes down as well. She looks through the peephole before opening the door.

Hanna "Caleb, what's going on?" she asks confused.

Caleb "Are you okay?" he asks while checking her out from head to toe. She is still in her pajamas.

Hanna "Yeah, I was just napping… why?"

Caleb "I've been calling you since noon, Han. Why weren't you answering your phone?" he steps inside as Chocolate greets him.

Hanna "Oh… I must have left my phone in the kitchen. I was just sleeping, babe" she closes the door.

Caleb "You need to answer your phone, Han… I got worried"

Hanna "Okay, I'm sorry. I don't even know what time it is, I just overslept I guess"

Caleb "You didn't sleep well at night?" he takes her hand and pulls her closer to him. "You can come back to my place if you need so"

Hanna smiles at him slightly. "I'll be fine, babe… I just had some trouble falling asleep, that's all"

Caleb nods and pecks her lips.

Hanna "Let me go take a shower and then we can go to the furniture store"

Caleb "Okay" he pecks her lips once more and then they go upstairs.

He waits for Hanna in her bedroom as she showers.

She comes back some minutes later, wearing nothing but her underwear, as she dries her hair with a towel.

Caleb "Whoa!" he grins. "I think we should better stay here" he raises an eyebrow at her.

Hanna chuckles and throws her towel in his face. "I don't think so… I want to go out"

Caleb laughs too and takes the towel off his face. "Don't you want to go to the furniture store tomorrow? I was thinking we could take Chocolate to the park instead… it's been a while since the last time we went there…" he asks as Hanna puts on a black top and a pair of denim shorts that fit her perfectly.

Hanna goes sit down on the edge of the bed next to him. "Babe… I haven't walked Chocolate since… you know, what happened. I'm not ready to go back to walking him yet… Actually, I don't think I will be ready to do so any time soon… I can't even think of it" she explains and Caleb can notice a hint of sadness in her voice.

Caleb "Not even with me?" he places his palm on her leg and starts to caress her with his fingertips.

Hanna "You know I feel safe with you… but only thinking about walking Chocolate makes me anxious and I don't want to do anything that could make me start to panic again… I don't want to go through it ever again, it is terrifying"

Caleb "That's okay, baby… I get you" he says understanding. He was the one who told her to stop pushing her limits after all. "I'll walk him for you later, don't worry"

Hanna smiles at him and leans over him to kiss his mouth.

/

Emily "Ali, I just don't get you. You wanted to talk to Hanna too the other day after the party"

Alison "Well, I changed my mind"

The girls are at the Brew. Aria and Emily are trying to convince Alison and Spencer to talk to Hanna all together. Alison refuses to do so, and Spencer has been quiet most of the conversation.

Emily "So you are just going to keep ignoring Hanna? May I ask until when?" she is getting irritated.

Alison sighs. "I'm just waiting for her to change her attitude"

Aria "She apologized"

Alison "She only sent a crappy text"

Aria "Yeah, and what else were you expecting? A bouquet of flowers? I still feel guilty for not having texted her back"

Emily "She also asked us to meet up, Ali. She wants to clear the air. Don't be so hard on her. She just went through a lot, and she didn't do anything bad to us…"

Spencer "She did to Caleb… and she goes around with the guy as if nothing had happened" she finally joins the conversation.

Aria "That's not our business, Spence"

Spencer "No, but it proves Ali's point. She needs to change her attitude"

Emily rolls her eyes. "Whatever. I'm talking to Hanna today… I'll tell her that we know about Sean. I'm sure she regrets it"

Aria "I'll come with you, Em"

Emily "Don't you miss her, guys?" she asks Spencer and Alison.

Spencer "I miss the old Hanna… not this version of her that lies to us to hang with Mona, that tells us to fuck off when we try to help her, that doesn't give a crap about the person she has by her side. I wouldn't have cared if she had cheated on Jordan with Caleb… In fact, I'm pretty sure she did… but cheating on Caleb with Sean? After all he did for her? And then pretending that nothing happened? I can't put up with that"

Emily knows for sure that Hanna was with Caleb before breaking up with Jordan, but that is irrelevant now so she doesn't say anything about it.

Aria "We all have made mistakes… we can't judge her"

Alison "You are right… I've probably made more mistakes myself than anyone in this room…"

Emily "So?"

Alison "I'm talking to Hanna with you" she tells Emily and Aria. "But I don't promise anything"

Emily and Aria fix their eyes on Spencer now.

Spencer "Fine. I'll talk to Hanna too" she finally agrees with the girls. "But I really hope she talks to Caleb about the party…"

Emily "That's up to her, we can't ask her to do anything"

Spencer "I know, but it would be kind of disappointing if she didn't"

/

After picking the furniture for Caleb's backyard, they decide to go to The Brew for coffee. Caleb is making their order when Hanna takes a look around, looking for a free table, and spots the girls sitting at one of the tables at the back of the place.

Hanna "Can we have our coffees to go, please?" she suddenly asks the cashier and Caleb looks at her confused. "The girls are over there" she whispers to him.

Caleb "Why don't you just go talk to them?"

Hanna "Because I texted them to get together two days ago and none of them texted me back… and now there they are, all together. It pisses me off"

Caleb "They are your friends, Han… just go and tell them to knock it off and tell you what's going on" he has tried to stay out of whatever is going on between the girls but now he is done. "They are acting like high school girls"

Hanna takes another look at the girls. Caleb is right. She has to talk to her friends. She needs to get it over with. Avoiding them just like they are avoiding her will not solve anything. And despite everything, she misses them. There are a lot of things she would like to share with them, like her happiness to be with Caleb.

Hanna "Fine… I'll go talk to them"

Caleb "I'll get our coffees and wait for you in the car, okay?"

Hanna gives him a little smile. "Thank you, baby"

She approaches the girls ready to tell them a bunch of things that have come across her mind in the last days, ready to tell them to cut the shit and talk to her already, but once she gets there, nothing comes out.

Hanna "Guys…" she only says and falls silent while staring at her friends.

They all turn to her, surprised to see her there. They stare back at her, waiting for her to go on with whatever she was going to say, but Hanna just remains standing there. Her determination to make them talk to her has been replaced by a feeling of sadness.

Emily is the one who decides to end with the awkward moment. She stands up from the couch where she is sitting and pulls Hanna into a hug. A gesture that not only takes Hanna by surprise, but also the rest of the girls.

Hanna hugs her back right away. It's a brief hug, but it means a lot to her.

Emily "Come sit with us"

Aria "Hi, Han" she greets her too while moving to the side to make some room for Hanna to sit down on the same couch as Emily and her.

Spencer and Ali are sitting in a couple of chairs in front of them.

Hanna "Guys… what's going on?" she asks while having seat. "Why are you so mad at me that you won't even text me back?" she asks calmly, because Emily's hug has made her cool down and she is no longer as pissed off as she was before when she saw all of them together without her. "I know I said bad things to you, but you have to understand me… I just wanted to forget about what had happened and you kept bringing it up and trying to convince me to do things that I didn't want to do. I also know that I should have just talked to you before instead of reacting the way I did and pushing you away, but I was a mess… I was sleepless and-"

Spencer "It's not only that, Hanna…"

Hanna "I know…" she stares at Spencer. "I promised you I would come over to your get-together and I didn't. I know it was important to you, believe me, your first ultrasound was important to me too, I really wanted to see those prints and listen to everything you had to tell us about it, but-"

Spencer interrupts her. "But you chose to go to a party with Mona… I see how important it was to you"

Hanna sighs. "It wasn't like that, I mean, yes, I went to a party with Mona, but it doesn't mean that I-"

Spencer "Whatever, I had already forgiven you for not coming over, because I knew you were going through a lot" she cuts Hanna off again. "The party wasn't the problem, and neither was Mona… the problem is what you did at the party, and after the party, and what you are still doing now"

Hanna "What?" she asks perplexed. She can tell that Spencer is the one who is most angry with her.

But none of the girls answer her question and there's another awkward moment as Hanna stares at them confused. Right when Alison is about to say something, Caleb shows up.

Caleb "Hi, girls" he greets them all with a smile and then approaches Hanna. "Here is your coffee, babe" he hands her an iced coffee. "I'm leaving, okay? I'll call you later"

He has kept an eye on Hanna and he saw the hug with Emily, and now she is sitting with the girls, so he thought he should better leave and give them some space.

Hanna would like to make him stay. But she needs to keep talking to her friends and it seems like it's gonna take longer than she thought, so she can't just make him wait for her in the car.

Hanna "Thank you" she shoots him a brief smile. "See you later"

Caleb leans over and kisses her goodbye. "See you around, guys" he says to the girls before walking away.

When Hanna looks back at the girls, all eyes are on her.

Aria "You two are officially together, Han?"

Hanna "Yeah, of course we are dating… we have been together since the night I came back from DC and went get him at Spencer and Toby's place, you all were there… and you know I wouldn't just fool around with Caleb. There were already too many feelings involved so we just decided to take it serious from the beginning" she says and smiles.

She was expecting her friends to get happy for her, even if things aren't good between them yet, since they have been shipping her relationship with Caleb since before it even existed. But their reactions astonish her completely. Alison frowns, Spencer remains just as upset as before and Emily and Aria are just staring at her and they seem too serious.

Hanna "What's the problem?"

Alison "We saw you at the party, Hanna" she goes straight to the point.

Hanna "Yeah, I know you were there, Caleb told me. But I don't get it… Are you guys mad because I was partying with Mona when I was supposed to be at Spencer's?"

Alison "Stop playing dumb, Hanna"

Hanna "Would you just please knock it off and tell me what in the world is going on?" she runs out of patience.

Alison "We saw you with Sean, we know you left the party with him and we know that you slept with him"

Hanna "Whaaaat?!"

Aria "We know you were drunk and all, so-"

Alison interrupts Aria right away. "But that you were drunk doesn't make it less bad, Hanna"

Emily "We tried to stop you, Han. But we lost sight of you and then you were nowhere to be found"

Spencer "The worst part here is that you are with Caleb as if nothing had happened. How could you do something like that to him?"

Hanna "I did not sleep with Sean, guys! Are you crazy? Are you serious? Where did you get that from?"

Alison "Hanna, quit it! Stop lying to us, I even heard you two. It's fine, we won't say a word about it, just tell us the truth"

Hanna "Okay, this doesn't make any sense. How could you hear something that didn't even happen!?" she is getting angry.

Alison "Hanna, I called you on your phone and you picked up by accident. I heard your moans… and some other sounds" she crinkles her nose in disgust.

Hanna starts to get it now. "Oh my god, guys. Nothing happened between Sean and me, I swear it. Mona had my phone, you heard her and Noel, Ali"

Alison "What? Ugh! That's even more disgusting"

Emily "But still, we saw you at the party, Han… you were pretty close to Sean… we saw the way he was holding you…"

Hanna "There's an explanation for that…" she says and the girls look at her expectantly. But she takes a moment before going on. It's not easy for her to talk about it. She looks down and finally starts speaking "I've been having these… kind of… episodes… where I feel scared, really scared... well, it's more like a paralyzing fear. And I feel that I can't move, I can't breathe. It feels like I could die right there… and it happened at the party" she looks up at her friends and sees that her facial expressions have changed. They don't look upset anymore, they are still serious, but listening to her attentively.

Spencer "Like panic attacks, Han?"

Hanna nods. "I guess" she doesn't like how it sounds, but she can no longer deny that that is what they are. "Mona left me alone. I had gone use the bathroom and when I came back she was nowhere to be found. The place was full of people and I was drunk… so it just happened, I started to panic right there. And well, I saw Sean and went to him. He only helped me out. That's what you saw, guys. Nothing happened between Sean and me. He was the only person I knew in there"

Hanna's eyes have become watery and the girls feel guilty now that they know what really happened at that party.

Emily "Oh god, Han… I'm so sorry" she takes her hand.

Aria "I'm sorry, Han. We should have gone look after you the second we realized you were drunk"

Alison "I'm sorry too, Han. It's just that… it really seemed like you and Sean were having something. I guess it was all a huge misunderstanding"

Spencer "I'm so, so, so sorry, Hanna. Why didn't you tell us about the panic attacks before?"

Hanna "For the same reason I didn't come to your get-together. I was trying to pretend that everything was fine, that nothing wrong had happened. And you wouldn't let me. That's why I was hanging out with Mona, she knows nothing. You were being too pushy, guys… I didn't want to go to the police, I didn't want to get an attorney… I just wanted my life back"

Aria "You could have told me all that instead of just kicking me out of your house"

Hanna "I know, but I had just run into Emily and Alison at the mall before you came to my place and I had tried to explain it to them but they didn't listen to me, so by the time you tried to talk to me, I was pretty pissed off, I hadn't slept well and so I reacted like I did… I can't believe you guys thought I could cheat on Caleb. Are you insane?"

Spencer "Han, the last conversation we had about Caleb was weeks ago, and you told us that you only had a crush on him and that you were already planning a life with Jordan. Then you broke up with Jordan and we started to see you with Caleb, but that's all. We didn't know what was going on between you two"

Alison "You can't blame us for thinking that you cheated on him. We didn't even know when you started dating him until 5 minutes ago… besides, you cheated on Jordan with Caleb, didn't you? It wasn't so crazy to think that-"

Hanna interrupts her. "What? Are you serious, Ali? That I cheated on Jordan doesn't mean that I'm capable of doing the same thing to Caleb. I would never do something like that to him"

Alison only nods because she knows that Hanna is right.

Hanna "I didn't mean to cheat on Jordan either, it just happened. This thing with Caleb started to grow stronger so fast that I couldn't stop it. I just couldn't keep away from him. But I felt guilty the whole time and I didn't sleep with Caleb until I broke up with Jordan"

Aria "Guys, why don't we move on? Let's stop talking about the bad things…" she suggests. "Han, why don't you tell us about Caleb?" she gives her a warm smile. "I'm dying to know how and when your first kiss was"

Alison "I bet it was at Camp Mona" she says and smiles too.

But Hanna doesn't even smile a little. "I'm sorry guys… I don't feel like talking about it now"

Spencer "Are you mad at us?"

Alison "Emily and Aria wanted to talk to you before… don't be mad at them too"

Hanna "I'm not mad… I'm… disappointed. I can't believe you stopped talking to me only because you thought I had cheated on someone. You are my best friends…"

Emily "It wasn't just someone, Han… it was Caleb. We felt sorry for him"

Alison "Yeah, the problem was that that someone was Caleb… you know I didn't mind helping you look for your engagement ring in Caleb's bed that time when you spent the night with him at the Radley… I was convinced that you had cheated on Jordan with him and I didn't care, I even found it pretty amusing… We were upset because it was Caleb the one who had been by your side the whole time after what those guys did to you and we couldn't believe you had cheated on him just like that"

Spencer "And we weren't going to stop talking to you… we were pissed off and wanted to cool off before talking to you, that's all"

Hanna "Still, you are my friends and you cut me off"

Spencer "How would you feel if you caught me cheating on Toby? Wouldn't you be mad at me even if I am your friend?"

Hanna "I don't know… well, yes, I would probably want to punch you in the face and tell you what an idiot you are, but I definitely would not stop talking to you. Besides, you weren't even at the party, Spencer, what the fuck? I can understand that Ali, Aria and Emily got it all wrong, but you just believed what they told you and didn't even try to talk to me about it. I went to your place yesterday, you had the chance to at least ask me about it"

Spencer "I'm sorry, Han. I really am"

Aria "We all are sorry, Han"

Hanna "Does anyone else know about this?"

Alison and Emily fix their eyes on Spencer while Aria just looks away.

Spencer sighs. "I told Toby"

Hanna "You told Toby too?"

Spencer "I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do and Toby-"

Hanna cuts her off. "Great. You realize that you could have caused a problem between Caleb and me for being gossiping like that, right?"

Spencer "I needed to talk to him… and I wasn't going to tell him about Sean, but I did, I'm sorry. I was trying to figure out how serious your relationship with Caleb was"

Hanna "Again, you should have just asked me, Spencer. I'm your friend" she says for the hundredth time. "Anyway, Caleb knows everything. He knows about the party, he knows about what happened there and he also knows that I left with Sean"

Aria gives her a smile. "You two are very close already"

Hanna only nods, she remains silent.

Emily "So, will you forgive us, Han?"

Hanna "I already did… I'm done with all this distance and awkwardness between us, guys. You are my best friends and I love you… but I can't help feeling disappointed… it's just the way I feel"

Alison "Can we make it up to you somehow?"

Spencer "Yeah, I feel terrible"

Hanna "You don't have to… I guess it will get better with time"

Everyone falls silent after Hanna's words and they remain like that for some minutes. Only the background noise of the coffee shop fills the silence.

Hanna "I'll get going, guys" she says at some point and stands up, although she didn't even drink half of her iced coffee.

Emily "Do you need a ride, Han?" she asks, since Hanna got there with Caleb.

Hanna "No, it's okay. I'll just take a cab"

Emily "Oh, come on. I'll drive you" she gets up from the couch.

Spencer stands up too. "I'm sorry, Han" she says again and hugs Hanna.

Hanna "It's okay" she hugs her back. "Just tell Toby what really happened, please"

Spencer "Yeah, of course, Han"

They pull away from the hug and Ali and Aria take their turns to give Hanna a brief hug too and say goodbye. Then she leaves the place with Emily.

* * *

Hi guys! Thank you for reading and reviewing my story :) I miss Haleb so much and writing this story helps a little haha.


	36. Chapter 36

Emily "So, where should I take you? Your place or Caleb's?" she asks once they are in her car.

Hanna "Caleb's, please" she says while looking out the window as Emily pulls out.

Emily "How is Chocolate doing, Han? I mean, he went through a lot too"

Hanna "He is doing great. He didn't even realize he had been kidnapped. I'm pretty sure he slept most of the time"

Emily smiles. "Did they take good care of him at least?"

Hanna "Yeah… I would have killed someone otherwise"

Emily chuckles. "I know you would… Have your mom come back from London yet?"

Hanna "Uh huh"

Emily "I'm sure she had a great time there…"

Hanna "Yeah" she only answers and Emily gets right away that Hanna is not in the mood to hold a conversation at the moment.

The rest of the drive is very quiet and only a few minutes later, they get to Caleb's place.

Emily "I'm not sure Caleb is home, Han" she says after stopping the car.

Hanna takes a look at the house and sees that Caleb's car is not in the driveway.

Emily "Wanna give him a call? Maybe he is close by, or on his way back… I don't mind waiting"

Hanna "No, it's fine… can you take me home?"

Emily "Sure"

Hanna "I'm sorry, I should have called him before making you come all the way here"

Emily laughs. "Don't be silly, I don't mind. Besides, you live only a few blocks away from here, it's the same"

Hanna gives her a slight smile.

/

Evening.

Ashley gets home from work and finds Hanna lying on the couch with Chocolate. She is already in her pajamas, watching TV.

Ashley "Hi, sweetie"

Hanna "Hi, mom" she says without taking her eyes off the screen.

Ashley "How was your day?"

Hanna "It was okay…" she says, still focused on the tv. "Yours?"

Ashley "I've had a hectic day… Too much to catch up with after being so many days away. I was planning to get back home earlier, but I couldn't... And on top of that, Denise from the front desk didn't…" she realizes that Hanna isn't really listening to her and also notices her expressionless face. "You okay, Hanna?"

Hanna "Yeah, I'm just tired" she sits up.

Ashley "I was gonna take you out to dinner, but you are already in your pajamas… What would you like to eat? I'm ordering some food"

Hanna "I'm not really hungry, mom… I'll just go to bed" she stands up. "Let's go, Chocolate"

Ashley "Are you sure you don't want anything?"

Hanna "Yeah, I'm sure. Night, mom" she says while going upstairs with her dog.

Ashley "Good night, baby. I'll order something for you just in case you change your mind"

Since Hanna isn't having dinner with her, Ashley grabs her phone and invites Ted over.

/

Later. Around 10 pm.

Caleb leaves Toby's place. He is walking back to his house when he decides that it's such a beautiful summer night to go back home so early and so he texts Hanna. It's a working day, but none of them has a job yet, so it's the same.

Caleb: _Babe! Wanna go out for a drink?_

He sends the text and sits down on a step at his porch to wait for an answer. But ten minutes pass by and he still doesn't get a text from Hanna.

Caleb: _Han?_

He waits 5 more minutes, but then decides to give her a call. Maybe she didn't hear her phone beeping.

But Hanna doesn't pick up, actually, Caleb is pretty sure she declined his call because he goes to her voicemail after only a couple of rings. He thinks that maybe she is busy, so he stands up and gets inside. When he closes the door, his phone buzzes in his hand.

Hanna: _No._

Now he is almost sure that she is mad at him. But he doesn't get it. He knows he didn't do anything wrong. In fact, they haven't talked since the afternoon and they were okay when he left the Brew. He is confused.

Caleb: _Are you mad at me or something?_

Hanna doesn't text back so he calls her again. And once again, she declines his call.

Caleb: _Hanna, please. Answer the phone, let's talk._

He gets now all those memes going around on the internet about girlfriends being mad at guys who have absolutely no idea what they did wrong. And it is not fun at all, it's frustrating. He tries calling her again, but he isn't lucky this time either. He is about to text her again but gets another message from her.

Hanna: _Stop calling. I'm trying to go to sleep._

Yeah, there's no doubt she is pissed off. He grabs his keys and leaves his house again.

/

Ashley "Caleb! Hi!" She greets him after opening the door, surprised to see him. "Come in"

Caleb "Hi, Ashley" he steps inside. "I just wanted to… Is Hanna here?" he asks while petting Chocolate's head, who has showed up to greet him.

Ashley "Yes, but she went to bed about two hours ago… I'm sure she is asleep"

Caleb "Oh… well, we were just texting and…" he starts to explain while looking past Ashley at the staircase.

Ashley "Just go up, it's fine"

Caleb looks at her. "You don't mind?"

Ashley smiles and shakes her head no.

Caleb "Thank you" he says and goes upstairs. Chocolate follows him.

He lets himself in Hanna's bedroom. The lights are off but the curtains are open so the lights from the street illuminate the room a little, enough for Caleb to see Hanna. She is in bed, lying on her side, her back to the door.

Hanna "Mom, really. I am not hungry. I just want to go to sleep"

Caleb goes sit down on the edge of the bed. "It's me, Han"

Hanna doesn't say anything.

Chocolate lies down on the floor at the end of the bed.

Caleb takes his hand to Hanna's back and starts to give her a rub.

She doesn't stop him, so he keeps caressing her for a while.

At some point, he lies down on the bed, above the covers, and Hanna not only let him do so, but also moves to make some room for him.

Caleb "Why are you mad at me?" he whispers into her ear, rubbing her arm this time.

Hanna remains silent for a few more seconds, but then she finally says something. "You said you would call me and you didn't. And you also said you would walk Chocolate but you didn't show up"

Caleb can't hold back a small laugh. "Really? That was it?"

Hanna "You are an idiot"

Caleb "I was just hanging with Toby, babe"

Hanna stays silent.

Caleb "I'm sorry, I'll walk Chocolate tomorrow" he gives her a kiss on the back of the neck. "I don't think you are really mad… I think you just need some cuddles…" he wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her to him, spooning her. "Am I wrong?"

Hanna perfectly knows that Caleb is right. She has become so dependent on him lately that it scares her a little. But she can't help it, he makes her feel so much better when she feels down.

She finally turns around and snuggles up against his chest. Caleb holds her with both his arms now and starts to stroke her hair. He was worried that she could be really mad at him when he got those cold texts from her, but now he is glad he did, because cuddling with Hanna in bed is way better than going out for a drink like he was planning in the first place, and now he doesn't mind at all missing out that perfect summer night, in fact, he can't wait the cold weather to come so they can cuddle like that more often. He loves holding her close.

Hanna "You know I would never ever cheat on you, right?" she asks completely out of the blue.

Her question takes Caleb by surprise, so he doesn't answer right away. He doesn't get why she is bringing that up now.

Hanna pulls back from his chest to look at him. "I know our relationship didn't start the best way, but you have to know that the fact that I cheated on Jordan doesn't mean that I could do the same thing to you at some point. That won't happen"

Caleb "I know"

There's a little frown on his face that shows his confusion. Hanna traces her finger on it.

Caleb "Why are we talking about this now?"

Hanna "The girls stopped talking to me because they thought I had cheated on you at the party… they saw me with Sean" she brushes her finger along his bottom lip now.

Caleb "Really?"

Hanna "Uh huh" she rests her hand on the side of his neck and starts to caress his cheek with her thumb.

They fall silent and remain like that for minutes. Just cuddling. But at some point, Hanna speaks again, because she hasn't stopped thinking about the subject.

Hanna "Caleb, if you have any question about that night, you can ask, really. I don't mind"

Caleb "Don't be silly, Han. I trust you"

Hanna "I know, but still"

Caleb "Han, I don't want to know any details. Of course, I would have preferred that anyone at that party helped you instead of your ex-boyfriend. I would have loved if your friends brought you home safe and sound instead of you spending the whole night stuck in Philly with him. But it's fine. I completely understand it. And I'm glad that someone was there for you, even if that someone was him. And like I just said, I trust you. That's why I didn't need to ask you any questions when you first told me about it and I don't need to ask questions now"

Hanna closes her eyes and sticks her forehead to his. "You are the best" She grabs his face and gives him a brief, but still full of love, kiss on the mouth. "I can't believe the girls thought I could do such a thing to you" she says after pulling away. "I'm not a cheater… I mean, I did cheat on Jordan, but that was different. It's not like I did it for fun. I felt awful and so guilty… but I couldn't help it, I mean…" she sighs. "Whatever, I would never cheat on you, Caleb. You have to know it"

Caleb "I know, baby. I was there, remember? This thing between us was just unstoppable… and I could never think that you could cheat on me just because you did it to someone else in the past. Don't worry"

Hanna "I wish my friends knew it too…"

Caleb "Han, there are only two people in this relationship and that's you and me. Only us know how strong our relationship has become in such a short time because only us experienced it. You can't expect your friends to know it… or at least, not just yet… give them some time and they will realize how serious we are"

Hanna "I guess… but it hurts… They should have talked to me earlier"

Caleb "Did you tell them what really happened at that party?"

Hanna "Yeah, I did… and they felt terrible. They didn't stop apologizing… but it doesn't change anything. I still feel disappointed"

Caleb "They made a mistake, Han… but they love you. It will get better, you all will be fine. I've never seen such a strong friendship like yours"

Hanna nods. "Thank you for coming over" she tells him while staring into his eyes.

Caleb smiles at her. "No problem… but next time you need some cuddles, just let me know. You don't need to pretend to be mad at me"

Hanna "I wasn't pretending. I was actually mad at you… it's just that I didn't realize I was overreacting until you showed up here. I wasn't expecting you to come, I was just in a bad mood and I guess I took it out on you"

Caleb "Like you always do…"

Hanna "Yeah, I'm sorry"

Caleb "You are gonna have to make it up to me now"

Hanna smiles. "How?"

Caleb "I want a long kiss"

Hanna "Well, that's easy" she says before connecting their mouths.

The very romantic sound of their kissing fills the room for a long while as they make out. That funny sound that their lips make while sucking each other's mouth that Caleb secretly loves.

Hanna "Babe… take off your shoes and get under the covers with me" she whispers to him at some point.

Caleb lets go of her and does what he was told. He also takes his pants off to be more comfy and then gets in bed with Hanna.

Hanna "Much better"

They go back to kissing as Caleb takes her back into his arms. Only a few seconds later, Hanna feels Caleb bringing his hand to her stomach and when he runs it down, she stops him before he has the chance to reach between her legs.

Hanna "Not tonight, baby" she says softly while taking his hand and she moves it back to her back.

Caleb smiles against her chin. "Is this some kind of punishment for not walking Chocolate?"

Hanna chuckles. "No… I just got my period this afternoon"

Caleb "Oh… okay"

Hanna "I still can do something for you though…" she brushes her hand down his chest to his abs and that is where Caleb stops her too.

Caleb grabs her hand. "Come on, give me some credit… I can cuddle and kiss in bed with no sex involved"

Hanna smiles. "I know you can… I just wanted to do something for you"

Caleb "I'm fine" he kisses her cheek, the corner of her mouth and then her lips. "I'll just stay here with you until you fall asleep"

Hanna "What? No! You are staying the night"

Caleb "I can't"

Hanna "Yes, you can… don't bullshit me again with your backyard thing because if you need to be there, you can leave early in the morning… and if it's about my mom, she doesn't care if you stay"

Caleb "Fine. I'll stay" he pecks her lips. "Will I ever get to make any decision in this relationship?"

Hanna laughs. "Mmh… not really"

Caleb "I thought so" he smiles amused.

Hanna "Good night, baby" she makes herself comfortable on his chest.

Caleb "Night, Han" he rests his palm on her head and his other hand on her back. "Sleep well"

Hanna "You too, boo" she closes her eyes and smiles amused at hearing a small laugh from him.

/

 **Some days after.**

Caleb "Ready?" he asks Hanna while holding the knob of the back door in his hand.

Hanna nods. "Come on, I want to see it!"

Caleb opens the door and they go out.

A big smile appears on Hanna's face as she takes a look around.

Hanna "This is awesome, baby" she looks at him.

Caleb "You like it?"

Hanna "I love it" she takes another look at the recently renovated backyard. "Congratulations, babe… this place looks like something out of a magazine"

Caleb smiles. He is happy.

Hanna "Chocolate is going to love it too"

Caleb "Sure he will… the pool especially" he chuckles. "Come on, let's try the hot tub" he takes her hand and leads her toward there.

Caleb is wearing only a bathing suit so he gets in the water right away. But Hanna stands next to the hot tub and takes off her t-shirt while Caleb reaches out and helps her undo her denim shorts. Hanna shoots him a tender smile and pulls her shorts down to get rid of them too.

Caleb "I'll never get over seeing you in a bikini" he says while checking her out from head to toe. "Or naked…" he adds then.

Hanna laughs and gets in the hot tub. She sits down next to him.

Caleb "Ready?" he asks while placing his arm over her shoulders and then he presses the button that starts the hot water jets which start to massage their bodies in a second.

Hanna "God, this feels so good" she says while closing her eyes. Her head falls on Caleb's shoulder as she relaxes.

Caleb "Uh huh" he tilts his head back, resting on the hot tub pillow and stares at the blue sky above them.

They stay silent for minutes, just chilling and enjoying the pleasant moment. It's a sunny Saturday afternoon and the weather is just perfect. Summer is about to end but they still have a couple of warm weeks to enjoy themselves.

Hanna "So, how was your first day of work?" she makes conversation at some point.

Caleb started working at the Radley Hotel the previous day and Hanna didn't see him after that.

Caleb "It was good… my boss' daughter is pretty hot, I was hoping she would show up at some point but she didn't…" he rests his palm on her thigh.

Hanna chuckles. "I'll go visit you on Monday… I've got a job interview in the morning, but maybe I can make it to there for lunch"

Caleb "Really? You've got a job interview? That's good! Where?"

Hanna "At a store in the mall"

Caleb "They want your dresses?"

Hanna "What? No. They don't make dresses there. It's just a clothing store, they were looking for a salesperson"

Caleb "Han, you don't need that job. Just start making your dresses"

Hanna "Caleb, what do you think dresses are made of? I need money to buy fabric, threads, zippers, buttons and so many other things… I only use the best, there's no way I'm making shitty cheap dresses. And I don't even have a sewing machine. Besides, people won't start buying my dresses just like that, it will take time. I need the job"

Caleb "Money is not a problem, Han. We are going shopping this afternoon and we are gonna get everything you need to start. Including a sewing machine, the best one"

Hanna "I don't want your money, Caleb. I want to do this on my own. I can do it" she says while moving onto his lap to straddle him.

Caleb holds her face between his hands. "I know you can" he stares into her eyes. "I just want to give you a hand so you don't have-"

Hanna "Shhh" she pecks his lips. "I don't want to talk anymore"

Caleb "But we aren't done with this conversation" he smiles at her and places a peck on her lips too.

Hanna "Yes, we are" she opens her mouth and takes his bottom lip between her lips to start a passionate kiss.

Caleb surrenders to her kiss. As usual, he forgets about the entire world the moment her tongue finds its way into his mouth. He only focuses on kissing her back and making sure to caress her properly, because he knows that what he does with his hands while kissing is almost as important as what he does with his tongue. His right hand caressing her cheek is his way to say 'I love you' and his left hand pressing her low back to hold her close is his way to say 'I never want to let you go'.

Caleb "May I take this off?" he asks between kissing, after taking his hand from her low back up to the knot of her bikini top.

Hanna smiles against his lips and then pulls away from his mouth to speak. "Since when you ask for permission?"

Caleb only gives her a smile in response and unties the knot on her back. He takes her bikini top off and throws it somewhere on the ground. Then he slides his hands under her thighs and lifts her up a little, enough to get her chest at the right height. Hanna looks down at him and licks her bottom lip, he hasn't done anything yet but the view alone arouses her. Caleb buries his face between her breasts and from there, he starts to kiss and lick his way to one of her nipples. A soft sound escapes from Hanna's mouth the moment his mouth touches the most sensitive part of her boob, but Caleb doesn't hear it because of the constant noise of the water jets. She stares at him. She watches what he is doing to her, the way his lips close around her nip, the way his tongue rubs it. Being able to see it just drives her crazy. Caleb pulls back to switch to her other breast and makes eye contact with Hanna while getting her other nip into his mouth. He can feel it getting hard against his tongue just like it happened with the other one. He closes his eyes and keeps kissing and sucking for a while.

Caleb puts her back down on his lap and wraps his arms around her waist to hold her. It surprises him how turned-on he got Hanna so fast. Her breathing is very shallow, messy, and she starts to kiss him desperately.

Their before-sex-make-out session is suddenly interrupted by the sound of the backyard gate opening. Caleb instinctively pushes Hanna against himself before even taking a look at what is going on.

Toby "Whoaaaaa! You guys waste no time!"

Ezra "Seems like we made it to here just in time"

Caleb "What are you doing here?" he frowns. His arms are all around Hanna's back, holding her protectively against his chest to hide her nakedness.

Hanna's head is resting on Caleb's shoulder and she sees the situation from there.

Toby "We came to take a look at your new backyard… and well, to try your hot tub too"

Ezra "We've got some beer"

They both take their t-shirts off and get in the hot tub.

Hanna "Leave! We were in the middle of something here!" she says annoyed.

Ezra "Oh, come on! You can fuck in here tomorrow… we just want to try this before you two release your fluids in the water"

Toby laughs. "We almost arrived late" he says amused while staring at Hanna and Caleb.

Hanna "You are gross" she tells Ezra.

Caleb "What the fuck, guys?" he can't believe them.

Toby "Chill, have a beer" he hands Caleb a can of beer but he doesn't take it. "Come on, man…" he laughs. "Let's have a nice time between friends, you will have plenty of time to have sex in the hot tub in another time"

Caleb sighs and takes the beer from his hand.

Hanna "Caleb!" she shoots him a death glare.

Caleb "What? It's not like they will leave anyway" he takes a sip of beer, playing it cool. But he knows that Hanna's breathing is still heavy because of the breathing movements of her chest against his, and he won't just leave her like that. He has a trick up his sleeve.

Hanna rolls her eyes.

Caleb smiles at her and lays the beer on the edge of the hot tub. Then he places a tender kiss on her mouth at the same time as one of his hands makes its way down to her crotch.

Hanna forgets that she is half naked and almost pulls away from him, like a reflex, when she feels his hand there, but Caleb has his other arm around her and keeps her against his chest.

Caleb "Trust me" he whispers to her and slides his hand underneath her bikini bottom.

Hanna rests her head back on his shoulder and closes her eyes. Completely trusting him.

Caleb "So Toby, I saw that you put your truck on sale…" he makes conversation as his hand starts to caress Hanna teasingly.

Toby "Yeah… Spencer wants me to get a more kid-friendly vehicle" he says, resigned.

Ezra chuckles. "And you do everything she tells you?"

Caleb "But you love that old truck" he says while sliding two fingers into Hanna's pussy.

Toby "Yes… but I can't put a baby car seat in there. Spencer is right"

When Caleb starts to pump his fingers into her, Hanna turns her head to the other side and hides her face against his neck. The pleasure he is making her feel is getting harder to hide. She can hear Caleb still speaking to the guys but she no longer pays attention to what they are talking about. It's not easy for Caleb to keep acting normally either, hold a conversation while fingerfucking his girlfriend, but he does his best for her.

Caleb "I got to drive a Lamborghini in Italy once… it was great" he says, answering to a question from Ezra.

Toby "You've been to Italy?"

Caleb "Yeah… I went on a vacation there once… when I was living in London" he answers as he speeds up the pace of his fingers.

Hanna knows that she is getting to her edge, but she needs a bit more. She wraps both her arms around Caleb's neck to hug him, and very, very softly, she whispers into his ear. "My clit, baby"

Ezra "Where have you been to? Aria and I are planning to go there this year"

Caleb "Verona. Where are you planning to go?"

He stops moving his fingers but keeps them inside of Hanna, pressed against her front wall. He uses his thumb to fulfill Hanna's request and starts touching her clit, rubbing it gently. Hanna struggles to keep quiet and it takes a lot of self-control but she manages to do so. It takes less than a couple of minutes, Caleb starts to feel Hanna's muscles tightening around his fingers. He keeps going until she reaches down and grabs his forearm to make him stop discreetly. Only then, he takes his hand off her and uses both his arms now to hold her tight. Hanna relaxes on his chest while catching her breath. Caleb looks down at her now and smiles before pressing a kiss on her forehead.

Caleb "Want some beer, baby?" he asks while caressing her back with his fingertips.

Hanna only shakes her head no slightly and then she places a tender kiss on his chest.

Ezra "You guys are cheesy as fuck"

Toby laughs and nods in agreement.

Caleb smiles amused. "Yeah, well, you can get your asses out of my hot tub and leave if you have any problem with that"

Ezra "No, we are fine… as long as you don't go back to whatever you were about to do when we got here" he jokes.

Caleb kicks him under the water. Then he grabs his beer and takes some sips.

Ezra only laughs in response.

Toby "What are you guys doing tomorrow?"

Caleb "I don't have plans yet, why?"

Ezra "Yeah, I'm free too"

Toby "Great, you are helping me set up the nursery… I have to assemble the crib and some other baby furniture"

Caleb chuckles. "Spencer is barely three months pregnant and you are already preparing the baby's room?"

Toby "Yeah… Spencer bought the furniture online and it came yesterday… she is kind of pissed off because I've been working on night shifts a lot lately… I just want to do something nice for her"

Ezra "I don't know why you are so surprised" he tells Caleb. "Knowing Hanna, she is gonna make you get the nursery ready before even getting pregnant" he laughs and Toby joins him.

Caleb "Wow, slow down… we just started dating" he answers immediately.

Ezra laughs louder. "Chill, I was just joking"

Caleb looks down at Hanna and feels relieved at seeing that she has fallen asleep. He doesn't know why, but he is sure she wouldn't like to hear him say that they just started dating, even if it's true.

The guys keep chatting about random stuff. A while later, Spencer shows up there too.

Spencer "Hi, guys!" she greets them warmly while approaching the hot tub. "Is she naked?" she asks surprised at seeing Hanna, who is still asleep all over Caleb.

Caleb chuckles. "Nah… just with no top on… these two idiots interrupted us and wouldn't leave us alone"

Spencer turns her gaze to Toby, like asking for an explanation.

Toby smiles amused. "We just wanted to try the hot tub"

Caleb "Go put on your bathing suit and join us, Spence"

Spencer doubts for a moment.

Toby "Come on, babe… come chill with us" he shoots her a smile.

Caleb "Actually, why don't you invite the girls over too? We can grill something for dinner"

Spencer smiles. "Yeah, sure" she leans forward and grabs Hanna's bikini top from the ground. "She will probably want this when she wakes up" she says amused and hands it to Caleb before walking away.

The boys resume their conversation for a while more, but at some point, they decide to get out of the water. It's too hot in there and their fingers have started to get wrinkled.

Caleb "Han, babe" he says while caressing her cheek, waking her up as their friends leave the hot tub and go to the loungers by the poolside.

Hanna "What?" she asks without even opening her eyes.

Caleb smiles. "Let's get out of the water"

Hanna finally opens her eyes and is about to sit up but she remembers she is half naked.

Caleb chuckles. "Let me help you put this on" he shows her the bikini top. "I Invited the guys over for dinner… and the girls are coming too… is that okay?" he tells her while tying her bikini.

Hanna shoots him a smile. "Of course it's okay, this is your place baby"

Caleb "I know, but… I don't know how things are between you and-"

Hanna "I haven't seen them since we talked at the Brew, but we have been texting a bit… everything is fine"

Caleb nods.

/

The girls get there later for dinner.

Although Caleb offered to grill something himself, Toby ends up taking care of dinner. It's like he has become the official griller of the group, and Caleb and Ezra just help him a little. The three of them are having beer next to the grill while chatting.

The girls instead are hanging out by the side of the pool. They are chatting as well. And Hanna is there too, although she hasn't taken much part in the conversation. She has been quiet most of the time, just giving short answers every so often, shooting a slight smile eventually. At some point she stands up and goes with the boys.

Hanna "Hey" she says while hugging Caleb from behind his back.

Caleb "Hey… you came for a beer?" he offers her his beer.

Hanna lets go of him. "Actually… I came for a kiss, but I could use some beer too" she smiles and grabs Caleb's beer to take a sip.

As soon as she moves the bottle away from her mouth, Caleb grabs her by the waist and gives her a brief kiss.

Hanna stays there with Caleb and the boys until dinner is ready and they all go sit at the table. And she sits next to Caleb, of course.

/

After dinner.

They all are chilling and having beers outside at the seating area. Caleb's new patio furniture is just as comfy as it's stylish, and that's thanks to Hanna.

Emily and Spencer go inside for some more beer and Caleb takes the opportunity to go talk to them for a minute.

Caleb "I'll go help the girls with those beers, babe" he tells Hanna who is sitting on his lap.

She nods and gets off him to sit down on the couch.

Caleb makes his way into the house and to the kitchen where the girls are taking some bottles of beer from the fridge.

Caleb "Guys…"

The girls turn to him.

Spencer "Don't worry, we won't break anything" she jokes.

Caleb smiles. "I just wanted to ask you something…"

Spencer nods.

Caleb "I want to buy Hanna a present… a sewing machine actually… do you have any idea what is exactly the one she needs to make her dresses? I've just been looking that up on my phone but there are too many options and I have no idea about anything"

Emily "That's just so sweet of you, Caleb" she smiles at him. "But Hanna already has a sewing machine, you should get her something else"

Caleb "She told me just this afternoon that she hasn't one"

Spencer "Ashley got her one when she left for college and it was a pretty good one"

Emily "Maybe she left it in New York…"

There's a moment of silence as the three of them start thinking.

Spencer "Guys… when Hanna came here a couple of months ago, she was planning to stay only for a couple of weeks. She didn't bring all her stuff. And well, then everything happened and she never went back to New York. Her sewing machine must be at the apartment she was living with Jordan"

Caleb "Well, it makes sense. Anyway, I'll get her a new one, so it doesn't matter"

Emily "No, she loved her sewing machine. I can't believe she didn't go get it back"

Spencer "Em, Hanna is still terrified because of what Jordan's friend did to her. Of course she wouldn't go back there. Even if Jordan is in DC most of the time now"

Emily "Yeah, I guess you are right… I had forgotten about the panic attacks" she says sadly.

Caleb "Guys, Hanna is doing much better now" he tells them at seeing their worried faces. "Really. She hasn't had another panic attack and I can tell that she is going back to normal. I know I haven't known her for as long as you have, but she is going back to being that happy, sassy, fun girl she was before"

Spencer "You know her pretty well, Caleb" she shoots him a smile. "You knew exactly how to help her when we didn't. You helped her out when we couldn't. And I'm so glad you were there for her"

Emily "Yeah… we only failed her. Twice"

Caleb "It was very hard for all of us, guys. And to be honest, I didn't know how to help her either at first. Actually, we had an argument when she chose not to go to the police… Anyway, you didn't fail her. And all the Sean thing and the party was just a misunderstanding, Hanna knows it and you already worked it out"

Spencer "She says that she forgave us, but it's clear that she is still hurt. She spent most of the night stuck to you because she doesn't even feel like hanging with us. And that's only our fault"

Caleb "Guys, Hanna and I have been stuck to one another almost since we met. It has nothing to do with you. Please, don't steal my thunder here. She is clingy and I love that, I love my clingy Hanna"

Emily and Spencer laugh.

Emily "Yeah, you've got a point there"

They both know that what Caleb says it's true. Hanna and he couldn't even keep away from each other the night Jordan came visit Hanna, it made Jordan jealous as fuck and Hanna was clueless until Jordan pointed it out because being that close to Caleb seemed the most natural thing to her. It was really fun for the rest of the guys to see it from the outside.

Spencer "Anyway, she still feels disappointed in us, that's obvious"

Emily "You know what?" she tells Caleb. "Start thinking about something else to get Hanna because she won't need a sewing machine. We are going to get her things back from that jerk's apartment"

Caleb chuckles. "Okay, but when her birthday comes, I will not ask for your opinion about my gift or you could steal my idea" he jokes.

Spencer "What a great idea, Em! That's a very good way to make it up to her for acting like jerks"

Emily "Grab that bottle, Spence" she changes the subject at seeing that Hanna is about to get in the kitchen.

Hanna "Hey… you are taking too long" she goes hug Caleb by his waist.

Emily and Spencer give Caleb knowing smiles. That's clingy Hanna looking for him after only a few minutes of being separated.

Caleb smiles amused too.

Hanna "What's so fun?" she asks at seeing everybody's amused faces.

Caleb looks down at her. "Nothing, I love you"

Hanna stares at him confused. She can't believe what she just heard. Actually, it's not what he said what surprises her, it's the fact that he said it in front of other people.

Caleb grabs her face and starts kissing her. Hanna brings her arms up to her shoulders and wraps them around his neck as she kisses him back.

Spencer and Emily grab the beers and leave the kitchen.

Hanna "I love you" she says when they pull away from the kiss.

Caleb smiles at her and puts his arm over her shoulders. "Let's go back out with the guys" he kisses her temple and leads her to the back door.

* * *

Guys! :) I know I'm taking too long to update, but I do what I can haha. Anyway, you can be sure that sooner or later, I'll always show up because I won't just abandon the story. And I fucking love HALEB!


	37. Chapter 37

Next Day.

Sunday afternoon.

Caleb rings the doorbell at Toby's and after a little while, Ezra answers the door.

Ezra "Hi, man" he greets Caleb. "Come in, we are upstairs"

They go upstairs and then to the baby's room where Toby is unpacking a huge package that Caleb assumes it's the crib.

Caleb "Let me help you" he says and grabs the top part of the package so Toby can open it more easily. "Where's Spence?"

Toby shrugs. "She left this morning. She took my truck"

Ezra chuckles. "She's trying to get rid of that old truck at all costs, huh?" he jokes.

But Toby remains serious. "She is not trying to get rid of anything"

Ezra "Maybe she is throwing it off a cliff right now" he goes on.

Toby "She gave me that truck as a present. She only wants me to be able to take the baby with me if necessary and I can't do that in that truck. That's all" he makes it clear.

Ezra "Chill, I was just kidding, buddy"

Caleb "Is everything okay?" He asks Toby. It's obvious that he is in a bad mood and that's just so unlike him.

Toby "Spencer and I had a fight last night. She made me sleep on the couch" he says while taking one of the pieces of the crib.

Caleb "Oh…" he only says and is about to change the subject not to meddle in Toby and Spencer's relationship issues, but Toby speaks again. It seems like he wants to talk.

Toby "She got mad at me because I told her I had to work at night this week too. She was furious… I can't help it, it's my job. I'm a freaking cop, of course I have to take night shifts sometimes. She is driving me nuts, guys. This pregnancy thing and its mood swings are just taking us apart. Sometimes I don't even recognize her, she gets so irrational. I mean, it's my job we are talking about. It's not like I'm going out for fun"

Caleb wants to say something, but he really doesn't know what to say. It's like he has no idea what to say because he has no idea what Toby is going through. Luckily for him, Ezra seems more knowledgeable in the subject and takes the word.

Ezra "She is pregnant, man. You need to be patient… And she is barely on her first trimester, for what I have heard, months of mood swings await you. Just get a more comfortable couch and try to make it through the pregnancy in one piece" he pats Toby's shoulder.

Toby "Yeah, well… I just hope it gets better at some point… maybe when the baby finally comes"

Ezra "Sure it will. You will forget about everything the moment you see that baby"

The guys keep talking about random things as they put the crib together. And when they are done with it, they start working on the baby dresser.

Toby "So, Caleb… aren't you planning to go to California before summer ends?" he asks at some point while adjusting a screw.

Caleb looks at him confused.

Toby "Aren't you gonna introduce Hanna to your family?"

Caleb doesn't get it at first, but then he understands. Toby is talking about the family he made up not to make his grandfather feel bad for his shitty childhood. The adoptive family that his grandfather died thinking he had back in California.

Caleb "I have no family in California"

Toby "What do you mean? Your grandpa told me about them. My dad invited him over for Christmas a couple of years ago because he said you couldn't come here because you were in Cali with your fam"

Caleb "It's a long story… but the truth is that I have no family in California… or anywhere else, for that matter" he says and goes on putting a drawer together.

But Toby won't let go of the subject.

Toby "How so?"

Caleb sighs. He doesn't really feel like talking about all that at the moment, but he has to. "I made that up. No family ever adopted me. I just went from a foster home to another until I saved enough money to rent my own place"

Toby "So you lied to your grandpa?" he asks with a frown on his face.

Caleb "I didn't mean to lie to him. It just happened"

Toby "It just happened?" he stands up. "Do you have any idea how lonely that poor man was?"

Caleb stands up too. "It wasn't easy for me either, I did what I could. And-"

Toby "Cut the shit, Caleb. So you had no other family and you couldn't even come visit him for Christmas? How many times did you actually come see him after he found you? I never saw you around"

Caleb "I came visit him some times, okay? It's just that-"

Toby "You didn't give a shit about him because you were too busy living your best life in London. The man died alone, Caleb!"

Caleb "That is not true, you don't know the first thing about me. You don't know how things were"

Toby "For all I know, you had a lovely grandfather, a great man, waiting for you here, waiting to get to know you, but you only showed up here how many times? Twice? And all you did was making up a family at the other side of the country so he wouldn't insist you to come visit him more often"

Caleb "Shut up! You know nothing" he stands right in front of Toby.

Toby "You knew he had died when you came here last year, didn't you? You just wanted his stuff, his money, the house. Now it all makes sense. You got rid of all his stuff and renovated the whole place. You didn't give a shit about your grandfather. You didn't even go see his grave. How could I be so stupid! You are just an opportunistic son of a bitch" he pushes Caleb back.

Ezra "Hey! Stop it, you two!" he approaches them. "What the hell, guys?"

Caleb pushes Toby back too. "You are an ass" he says and leaves the room feeling really angry, but not as angry as he feels hurt.

He goes to the front door and opens it to leave. To his surprise, he finds Hanna there, about to ring the doorbell and Chocolate is by her side.

Hanna "Hi, baby" she smiles at him, happy to see him.

Caleb doesn't say a word, he only closes the door behind his back, takes her hand and leads her toward his house.

Hanna "What's wrong?" she asks as they walk. She can see that he is very upset.

Caleb "Nothing is wrong"

They get in Caleb's house. Hanna goes take Chocolate out to the backyard and when she comes back, she finds Caleb sitting on the couch. His arms crossed over his chest. She goes sit on his lap, straddling him.

Hanna "Tell me what's wrong" she tells him while grabbing his arms to uncross them.

Caleb "Nothing is wrong because I have you and that's all I care about" he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her against him.

Hanna wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him, his cheek crushed against her chest.

Caleb "You are the only person I need in my life. You are my girlfriend and my best friend and I don't need anyone else" he closes his eyes and breathes in her rich scent.

Hanna smiles for a moment, but his cute words won't distract her from the fact that he is obviously upset for some reason.

Hanna "Did anything happen with the guys?" she asks while caressing his hair.

Caleb "Toby is an asshole"

Hanna "What happened?"

Caleb "Nothing. It doesn't matter" he pulls away from her chest and looks up at her. "I gotta go take a pee"

Hanna nods and gets off of him.

Caleb leaves and comes back a few minutes later. He sits down next to Hanna.

Caleb "Wanna watch a movie or something?" he asks without even looking at her. He is still upset and Hanna knows it.

Hanna "Actually… I was thinking we could take Chocolate to the park…" she suggests.

Caleb looks at her right away. "You sure?"

Hanna nods although she is not one hundred percent sure. The idea of walking Chocolate again after everything that happened still makes her feel anxious, but she wants to cheer Caleb up and staying in, watching a movie, won't work. "I'll go get Chocolate… you go for his ball" she stands up and is about to leave the living room but turns back around to look at him. "Chocolate loved your new backyard, by the way… he ran outside like crazy"

Caleb smiles slightly.

/

Hanna, Caleb and Chocolate are on their way to the park, walking by the sidewalk. They are barely two blocks away from Caleb's house and Hanna is already feeling a little sick. She and Caleb are holding hands and he starts to feel her hand get sweaty. They both have been quiet since they left the house, because Caleb doesn't feel like talking and Hanna just leaves him alone, but now he stops walking and looks at her.

Caleb "We don't have to do this… we can go back to my place and grab the car"

Hanna shakes her head no. "I'm okay"

Caleb "Doesn't seem so"

Hanna "I may be a little nervous, but I want to do this"

Caleb "Okay, just let me know anything"

Hanna smiles at him and gets closer to place a very tender kiss on his cheek. "I'll be fine because I'm with you" she squeezes his hand.

Caleb smiles at her and Hanna is happy because she got to make him smile even though he is feeling down.

Hanna looks at Chocolate who is staring at them expectantly, probably because he wants to keep walking. Caleb is holding his leash.

Hanna "Wanna go to the park, baby?" she asks him and the dog barks and starts to wag his tail.

Caleb "Let's go, buddy"

They resume their way to the park and once they get there, they go sit down on the grass at their usual spot underneath a big tree. Caleb unleashes Chocolate and then throws away the little red ball that the dog loves. He watches the dog go after it while resting his back on the tree behind him. Hanna is sitting cross-legged next to him. She reaches out and takes Caleb's hand again. Holding hands with him lowers her stress level and makes her feel safe.

Caleb intertwines their fingers and rests their joined hands on his thigh. "Come closer"

Hanna smiles and gets closer to him. She leans on his side and rests her head on his shoulder. She feels more relaxed now that they are at the park.

Chocolate comes back and gives Caleb the little red ball. They keep doing that for a long while, Caleb throwing the ball and Chocolate fetching it. Hanna can tell that Caleb is pensive. He is absent-minded and his face is expressionless. She thought he would feel better faster, but apparently, whatever happened between Toby and him is really upsetting him.

Hanna "Don't you wanna talk?"

Caleb "About?"

Hanna "About the weather" she says and rolls her eyes although he can't see her. "About whatever happened at Toby's, what do you think I want to talk about?" she says with sarcasm.

Caleb "It was nothing"

Hanna "It's obviously not nothing. You seem… hurt"

Caleb stays silent. Hanna leaves him alone for a couple of minutes but then she lifts her head from his shoulder and looks at him. She notices that his eyes have become glassy.

Hanna "You are starting to get used to talk about your good emotions and feelings little by little, I can tell that. I almost died of love last night when you told me you loved me in front of the girls" she tells him as she takes her free hand to their joined hands and starts to caress his hand with both of hers. "But when it comes to negative emotions, you just keep them to yourself. I want to be there for you just like you were there for me all these days… well, you have been there for me since we met basically. Talk to me… I promise you will feel better"

Caleb looks at her.

Hanna "Really" she takes one of her hands to his chest. "This weight you feel here when you feel upset, it will go away if you talk it out. I felt so much better the other day at the lake after talking to you. I never thought you would understand me that much" she smiles at him. "It made me feel much closer to you"

Caleb "I don't even know how I feel myself, Han… it's like I'm really pissed off at myself for being upset because of Toby. One moment, I want to go punch him in the face and the next moment, I want to punch myself in the face for wanting to go punch him in the face because he is not even worth it. He is not worth my anger"

Hanna is surprised to hear what Caleb just said. "So bad was it?"

Caleb "I was one second away from punching him in the face"

Hanna "What happened?"

Caleb "Apparently my grandfather told him about my adoptive family from California, the one I made up. He went crazy when he found out it was all a lie"

Hanna "Didn't you tell him how things were? What you told me at the Radley?"

Caleb "He didn't give me time. I had no chance to explain myself. He got all worked up and started to accuse me of being an opportunist and shit. I went crazy too and I had to leave not to beat his ass up"

Hanna "You two need to clear the air. I'm sure he will understand you when you tell him about your childhood and how you started to make up things when you met your grandpa not to make him feel guilty, not to hurt him"

Caleb "I don't want to tell Toby anything. I only shared it with you. I'm not interested in being friends with him. He can fuck himself"

Chocolate lies down next to Caleb, exhausted from fetching the ball for so long.

Hanna "He made a mistake. I'm pretty sure he didn't mean what he said"

Caleb "He meant it, believe me. I thought we had become friends, but he doesn't know me at all if he thinks I was just after my grandfather's money. He doesn't know the first thing about me"

Hanna "He was close to your grandpa, babe. They used to hang out a lot. A lot of times I went see Spence at their place and he wasn't there because he was 'at the neighbor's'"

Caleb doesn't answer so she keeps speaking.

Hanna "Take some time to cool off and then talk to him. You know Toby. You can't actually think that he meant what he said. Try to understand him… he must miss your grandpa, he was like a grandfather to him too"

Caleb is staring into space but Hanna can see a single little tear escape his eye and then roll down on his cheek. She can't believe it. She never saw Caleb crying. She feels her heart break. Caleb wipes that tear off of his face right away.

Hanna "Boo" she says like if that sweet cheesy teenage nickname came out right from her heart, unlike all the previous times when she just said it playfully. "Don't be sad" she adds while letting go of his hand to pull him in a hug.

Caleb hugs her back.

Hanna "I'll talk to Toby myself… I'll make him come to his senses. He can't really think that you are just an opportunist… you actually already had much more money than your grandfather when you met him. And you also saved my life for god's sake. I'm sure he wasn't thinking when he said that to you"

Caleb "I don't give a shit about Toby, Han" he pulls away from the hug, already pulling himself back together, like if he couldn't allow himself to look vulnerable. "It just that he said some things that made me think. He wasn't that wrong. I did not come for my grandpa's money, that's bullshit. But I could have spent more time with him… instead of just keeping some distance between us"

Hanna "Don't be so hard on yourself, babe… it wasn't easy for you. Your grandfather just showed up in your life when you were already an adult, and you did what you could"

Caleb smiles at her. "I wish he was here, I wish he could meet you"

Hanna "I would have loved to meet him too" she kisses Caleb's cheek. "Anyway, don't keep torturing yourself about what you could have done. Just be grateful for what you got the chance to share with him. It doesn't matter how much time it was, it was obviously enough to leave a mark in your life, and that's what counts… you miss him, don't you?"

Caleb nods.

Hanna "Well, then you didn't waste your little time with him"

Caleb is on the verge of tears again. Hanna's words just touched his heart.

Hanna "And you ended up in this freaking town because of your grandpa too. That brought you into my life" she smiles. "Well, technically, into Chocolate's life… and then you just stole him from me" she jokes.

Caleb chuckles with his eyes all glassy and Hanna thinks right away that that is the cutest thing she has ever seen.

Caleb "I thought we were over that"

Hanna laughs too. "Yes, we are. But that I forgave you doesn't change the fact that you stole my dog"

Caleb shrugs. "I would do that all over again because it brought me to this very moment"

Hanna shoots him a very tender smile before grabbing his face in her hands to start a kiss. That kiss calms Caleb's emotions. It helps him chill out. He was right after all, Hanna is all that he needs. They kiss for a while, until Hanna's phone beeping like crazy makes them pull away.

Hanna "It's Mona… she wants to meet up at my place…" she says after reading Mona's texts.

Caleb "Tell her you are busy" he hugs her from the side, wrapping his arms around her waist and places a few kisses on her neck while Hanna is on her phone.

Hanna "She says it's important…" she stares at Caleb. She doesn't really want to leave him alone, but he looks much better.

Caleb "Fine… let's go get your car, then" he places one more kiss on her lips and lets go of her. "But you are not allowed to leave town with that girl again" he smiles at her.

Hanna "Not allowed?" she chuckles. "I don't need your permission" she says while standing up.

Caleb stands up too and so does Chocolate.

Caleb "Just be careful, Han… I don't like that girl" he has stopped joking and is talking seriously now.

Hanna "You don't know her, Caleb"

Caleb "I know that she abandoned you in Philly" he says while putting Chocolate back on his leash.

Hanna "She didn't know what I was going through"

Caleb "She tried to set you up with Sean by lying about us"

Hanna "We are done with this conversation" she doesn't want to argue with Caleb. "Let's get going" she takes his hand.

They go back to Caleb's where Hanna's car is parked. They stand next to the car to say goodbye.

Hanna pecks Caleb's lips. "Call me before going to sleep"

Caleb nods and is about to open the rear door of her car to get Chocolate in the back seat, but Hanna stops him.

Hanna "Don't. Keep him… it's your turn"

Caleb "Didn't know we were taking turns" he smiles amused. "You sure?"

Hanna "Yeah… let him enjoy himself in your beautiful backyard… but you are not allowed to leave town with him or I'm calling the cops" she jokes.

Caleb "Thought you didn't like the police involved in your issues" he jokes back, but right after finishing the phrase, he realizes it wasn't something to joke about. "I'm sorry, it wasn't funny" he apologizes immediately.

Hanna "It's fine, babe" she gives him a reassuring little smile. "Call me" she says again.

Caleb "Yeah, I will" he kisses her on the mouth. "Bye, babe"

Hanna "Bye"

/

Later. Hanna's kitchen.

Hanna "No, Mona. I told you. I don't want a job in New York. I won't move back to there"

Mona "Hanna, you wanted me to help you get a job and that's what I'm trying to do. This is a great opportunity for you. Take it"

They are sitting at the kitchen island.

Hanna "I won't. My whole life is here now. I have no reason to go back to New York… I love it there, but if I go back to that city, it will be only to go shopping"

Mona "Your career isn't a reason?"

Hanna "Yes, but I can do it here. It can wait. I told you I've got a job interview at the mall tomorrow… If I get that job, I might be able to start making my dresses in a year" she stands up from her seat and approaches the fridge. "Want something to drink?"

Mona "In a year? How much money do you need?"

Hanna "It's not only for making the dresses… I'm kind of broke… I haven't had a job since I quit my job in New York when Chocolate went missing here… I was gonna get a new job when I moved back there with Jordan but he asked me to put it off so I could accompany him on his trips. I'm running out of savings now… I spent a lot of money on hospital bills a couple of weeks ago… What would you like to drink?" she asks again, still looking into the fridge.

Mona "You were in the hospital, Han?" she asks surprised.

Hanna "Oh… yes…" she wants to kick herself for slipping that out, she didn't mean to tell Mona about it. "It was nothing, really... The thing is that I'll go to that job interview tomorrow because I want a job here in Rosewood" she takes out a soda for herself. "Do you want something to drink or not?" she asks once again, out of patience now.

Mona "No, I don't want anything… Hanna, they will pay you much more money in New York. Just let me arrange you an interview and you will see. My contact there owes me a huge favor and you are a great designer, I'm telling you the job is yours"

Hanna closes the fridge. "Thank you, Mona… but my answer is no"

The doorbell interrupts their conversation.

Hanna puts her soda on the kitchen countertop. "Be right back" she tells Mona and leaves the kitchen.

Hanna takes a look through the peephole and finds Spencer standing there, holding a little box.

Hanna "Hi, Spence" she greets her friend after opening the door.

Spencer shoots her a smile. "Hey, you!"

Hanna gets to see Emily, Aria and Alison too now. They are taking some more boxes from the bed of Toby's truck which is parked right in front of her house.

Hanna "What are you guys doing here? What are all those boxes?" she asks confused.

Spencer "Your stuff, Han… we got it all back from Jordan's apartment"

Hanna "You went to New York?"

Spencer "Yeah… Emily gave Jordan a call and he sent someone to open the apartment for us…"

Emily "Hi, Han" she approaches her with a grin on her face. She is carrying another box, much bigger than Spencer's.

Hanna "Hey" she only says while moving to the side so her friends can get into the house.

Aria "Heeey, Han!"

Alison "Han!"

They both greet Hanna too while getting inside, they are carrying a big box together.

Spencer "Is there any other box left in the truck?"

Emily "No, this is all…"

Hanna closes the door and they all go to the kitchen. The girls find Mona in there and although they don't like seeing her there, they just greet her politely and Mona greets them back the same way.

Mona approaches Hanna. "I'll get going, Han"

Hanna nods and walks her to the front door.

Mona "Think about what I told you, please"

Hanna "Yeah, I will…" she says although she knows for sure that there's no way she is moving back to New York. She loves that city, but she loves what she has in Rosewood much more than anything else.

Mona "Bye, Han"

Hanna "Bye… see you"

Hanna goes back to the kitchen. Aria and Alison have placed the big box on the floor and the other ones are on the table.

Hanna "Guys… you didn't have to do this…"

Alison "Of course we had. We acted like jerks"

Emily "Yeah… and we know this isn't enough to make anything up to you, but we just wanted to do something nice for you"

Spencer "We are so sorry, Han. Really sorry… we just want to go back to normal. We want you to know that you can count on us for anything"

Aria "Uh huh… We love you, Han"

Hanna smiles. "I love you too, guys"

Aria goes hug Hanna and then the rest of the girls join the hug. When they pull away, Alison approaches the big box and opens it.

Alison "Come see"

Hanna goes take a look and the biggest grin appears on her face. "My sewing machine!" she says excited. "Oh my god, guys. This is awesome… thank you so much"

Emily "You don't have to thank us… it's yours" she chuckles. "We just got it back"

Hanna "I thought Jordan would just get rid of my stuff"

Aria "Well, he hasn't gone back to New York since you broke up yet, so I guess you were lucky"

Spencer "I have to say that this was much easier than I thought. I had pictured tons of your stuff all over Jordan's apartment… clothes, shoes, purses… but you had very few things in there, Han… and your sewing machine wasn't even unpacked… I took Toby's truck because I thought we would need much more room for all your things, but they would have fit in my car"

Hanna "Yeah… it's just that Jordan was a neat freak, so I only took a few things with me when I moved in his place"

She goes open one of the little boxes on the table and smiles at seeing a frame with a picture of Chocolate. Jordan never let her put it anywhere because the frame was pink and it didn't match the style of his apartment. She also finds her laptop in that box.

Hanna "Thank you, guys. This means a lot to me" she looks at them. "Wanna stay for dinner?"

Emily "Sure"

Aria "Yeah, totally"

Spencer just nods.

Alison "Let's order some sushi, please!"

Spencer "Yeah, let's take advantage of the fact that the men aren't here. Toby doesn't like sushi"

Hanna "Okay, sushi is it then!"

Emily grins. She missed their girls' nights. "And you have to tell us everything about Caleb and you, Han"

Hanna smiles widely. "Yeah"

* * *

Hi :) I didn't take too long to update this time haha.

Well, it was Hanna's turn to be there for Caleb in this chapter, I hope you liked it because there will be more of that.

FrenchBenzo, I'm not planning to write another story once this one is finished. I love writing Haleb, but it takes a lot of time and fewer people read this story as the weeks pass by. Anyway, there's still much left of this story before it ends ;)

Till next time, guys!


	38. Chapter 38

Sunday evening.

Caleb is chilling out on his couch with Chocolate, who is lying between his legs. He is having some snacks because he doesn't feel like cooking or even ordering something, so he is planning to just skip dinner. He is also having some beer while watching TV.

The doorbell interrupts his relaxed evening but he doesn't mind. He is sure it has to be Hanna, since who else would come over to his place that time on Sunday? And after what happened that afternoon, it's definitely not Toby.

He stands up from the couch.

Caleb "What a watch dog you are!" he says amused to Chocolate while heading to the front door, since the dog just ignored the doorbell and chose to keep napping.

Caleb is still smiling when he opens the door, but his smiley face is replaced by a confused expression when he sees the person standing there.

Caleb "Oh! Hi!" he says surprised. "I'm sorry, I just thought you were Hanna" he explains, becoming aware of his not-so-friendly greeting.

Mona "It's fine" she smiles. "I'm not Hanna, but It has to do with her, so…"

Caleb "Is everything all right?" he asks confused.

Mona "Yeah... I just came to talk to you for a sec… may I come in?"

Caleb "Yes, sure…" he says and moves to the side so she can get inside. Then he closes the door and they go to the living room. "I'm sorry for the mess… I wasn't expecting visitors"

Mona chuckles. "Please, I'm friends with Hanna, I've seen worse than this mess. It's fine" she sits down on a chair.

Caleb sits down on the couch next to Chocolate. "So? What brings you here?" he doesn't like Mona that much and he will not offer her a beer, because the sooner she leaves, the better. But he is interested in what she has to tell him, because he is interested in anything that has to do with Hanna.

Mona "I don't know if you know that Hanna is looking for a job…"

Caleb "Yes, of course I know"

Mona "Well, she asked me for my help the other day… a job in fashion is not easy to get, and I have some connections…"

Caleb just stares at her, letting her talk.

Mona "She wanted a job here in Rosewood or at least in Philly, because it isn't so far from here. But I got her a job interview in New York, because of course, New York City and fashion are like synonyms… there's a ninety-nine percent chance that she gets that job, because to be honest, that interview is just a formality, the job is hers. But she refuses to even go to that interview because it is in New York"

Caleb "So? What's the problem?"

Mona "Don't you see?"

Caleb "She doesn't feel like moving back to New York, it's fine. Besides, she doesn't need a job in fashion. She should start making her own dresses already. Her own business. She doesn't need to work for anyone else"

Mona "You are clueless, Caleb. This job is perfect for her career. It's a very important fashion brand. They are looking for new designers because they want to launch a new line of haute couture dresses. This is perfect for Hanna, she would meet so many people, famous people would wear her designs… but she is so stubborn, she is not listening to me"

Caleb "I'm pretty sure she has a very good reason not to go to that job interview. She is smart and she knows what she wants"

Mona "Yeah, she is smart, but she is also in love" she stares at Caleb.

Caleb falls silent.

Mona "She is missing out this opportunity because of you, Caleb. You are the reason she doesn't want to move back to New York. I told her she could come visit you on weekends, but apparently that is not enough"

Caleb remains silent.

Mona "Hanna already put off her career for Jordan. If you really care about her, you won't let her do the same again. Find a way to make her go to this job interview. We both know that she deserves better than working ten freaking hours a day at some store at the mall" she stands up from the chair. "Don't tell her I talked to you, she will get even more stubborn" she adds and leaves his place.

/

Meanwhile.

Hanna's place.

The girls are hanging out after having had dinner. They are in the living room.

Aria "Okay, let's get started, Han… first kiss with Caleb?"

Hanna grins. "Camp Mona"

Alison "I knew so!" she yells and laughs. "My plan worked so well! You owe me an apologize, babe" she tells Emily and takes a sip of wine.

Emily rolls her eyes.

Spencer "What plan?" she asks confused.

Emily "She introduced Sabrina to Caleb"

Spencer "But Sabrina is gay"

Alison smiles proudly. "Exactly"

Hanna "But I didn't know she was gay"

Alison "It was perfect, guys. Just admit it! I made Hanna jealous and there was no risk that something could happen between Sabrina and Caleb. I had it all under control"

Aria "Anyway, back to the important… how was it? The kiss…"

Hanna "Just perfect… so good. I had wanted to kiss him for so long... I didn't want it to stop. We kissed so much that night… I even stayed at his place"

Spencer laughs. "Oh my god, Han… you totally fooled us with that I'm-engaged-to-Jordan-Caleb-is-just-a-crush thing. I can't believe I bought that"

Aria "Yeah, me too… I was even deciding what to wear for your wedding"

Alison "Oh, please. It was obvious that wedding wasn't going to happen"

Hanna "I wasn't fooling you guys… before that first kiss with Caleb, I was truly planning to keep Jordan. Of course I was aware of the fact that I felt something for Caleb, but I was confused as fuck"

Spencer "Okay, let's go on… first time with Caleb?" she asks with a grin on her face.

Hanna smiles amused, all eyes are on her. She takes a moment before answering.

Aria "Come on!" she throws Hanna a cushion.

Hanna catches the cushion in the air and hugs it between her arms.

Emily "I know that one" she says very confident and raises her eyebrows. All the gazes turn to her now.

Hanna "Say it" she challenges her.

Emily smiles wider. "Spencer's lake house. At Toby's birthday"

The girls look back at Hanna now, waiting for her confirmation.

Hanna "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you are wrong, Em" she smiles amused. "I told you guys I didn't sleep with Caleb until I broke up with Jordan. My first time with Caleb was that night I went get him at that barbecue you were having at Spencer and Toby's place. I came back from DC and I went straight there because I couldn't wait any longer"

Alison laughs. "If I hadn't been at that barbecue, I wouldn't believe you… but I saw the way you kissed that guy… you were desperate"

Spencer and Aria laugh while nodding in agreement.

Emily looks confused. "But I thought you had been with him at the lake house… I saw you half naked, only wearing his shirt"

Hanna "And I told you we hadn't gotten to it yet… we did stuff, of course. But I wanted to wait until sorting my things out and Caleb respected my decision… and I have to say that it was worth the wait"

Alison "So he is good in bed" she shoots Hanna an amused smile.

Hanna "More than good… amazing, perfect"

The girls laugh.

Alison "Yeah, he looked like he was good at it"

The girls laugh again at Alison's answer.

Hanna "How's that? You can guess how someone is in bed based on their looks?"

Alison nods. "Not just anyone… only men"

Emily "Oh, please" she rolls her eyes skeptically.

Spencer "Let's try you… how do you think Toby is in bed? I'll tell you if you are right"

Alison "Fine… Toby looks like… he is good in bed too"

Spencer nods.

Alison "But…"

Spencer stares at her expectantly.

Alison "He is too much cute and gentle and sometimes, you need it to get a bit rougher… it's like every so often, you want to fuck instead of making love for a change. And that is not a problem for any of you, because when you ask for it, he is more than willing to please you"

Spencer "God, that's so true!" she says impressed.

Emily "But you have told us a lot of things about you and Toby in bed, it doesn't count"

Aria "Take a guess about Ezra now"

Hanna "Yeah, Aria doesn't give us many details about what they do. It has to count" she tells Emily, who for some reason, is not as entertained with the conversation as the rest of the girls.

Alison "Ezra…" she smiles amused. "You could think that he is a cute and gentle lover just like Toby, but… he has his hidden side… he is cute and all, he likes cuddling too… but… he also likes rough sex outside the bedroom. I bet you two do it in the kitchen more often than any of us"

Aria "Oh my god!" she laughs out loud.

Alison "And I can tell more about Caleb" she tells Hanna with a cocky smile.

Hanna laughs. "Go ahead. I'll let you know if you are right"

Alison "Caleb is way more experienced in bed than you are, so he does things you didn't know that felt so good"

Hanna becomes serious.

Alison "Probably because Jordan was a lame and selfish lover and he wasn't much out of the routine. So Caleb is out of this world compared to him. Also, some things about Caleb remind you of Sean… Sean was good in bed too, but you two were too young when you were together, so you didn't try too many things. Besides, you didn't feel as comfortable with Sean as you feel with Caleb"

Hanna "Wow, you are scaring me, Ali" she says perplexed.

The girls keep laughing and asking Alison what she thinks about other guys they know, although they can't confirm if she is right or wrong because none of them have slept with them. They even mention Lucas at some point and Alison says that he is probably still a virgin, which makes Hanna defend him right away although she knows it could be true, but he is her friend. Their tummies and cheeks hurt from so much laughing as they keep joking around.

At some point, Hanna gets a text from Caleb.

Caleb: _Han, can I pick you up? Are you home?_

Hanna: _Hey you :) yeah, I'm home. But I'm with the girls, babe._

Caleb: _OK, just let me know when they leave then._

Hanna: _I need to go to bed early, baby. I have my job interview at the mall in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow. We can speak on the phone before going to sleep anyway._

Alison "Guys, we have something to tell you" she suddenly says while taking Emily's hand.

Hanna puts her phone down right away to pay attention to Alison.

Alison "Em is moving in with me next weekend" she happily announces and Emily, who is sitting right next to her, smiles widely.

The girls get happy and congratulate them on their decision, since moving in together is such a big step in any relationship.

Hanna "This is great. We all are happy at the same time, here, in this shit hole of a town. I never thought this could happen"

Aria "Yeah, it's awesome! Things seem to be going well for all of us finally!" she says and looks at Hanna. "You seem so much better, Han. I'm so happy to see you this happy" she shoots her a smile.

Hanna "Thank you" she smiles back. "I'm happy and in love" she says and the girls giggle. She grabs her phone and takes a look, but Caleb hasn't answered her last text yet.

Alison "Hey! Stop using your phone, we are chatting here"

Hanna "I'm sorry… it's just that Caleb was feeling a little down today and he just texted me"

Emily "What happened?"

Aria "It was about the fight he had with Toby? Ezra told me"

Spencer "Toby and Caleb had a fight?" she asks surprised and looks at Hanna.

Hanna "Yeah…" she wasn't going to mention it, but Aria did. "Toby said pretty hurtful things to Caleb…"

Spencer "But what happened?" she doesn't get why Toby would do something like that.

Hanna sighs. "I can't tell you… it's complicated. I'll just say that Caleb had a pretty hard childhood and he didn't want his grandfather to know about it, so he maybe told him some things that weren't true. But he had no bad intentions… he just didn't want his grandpa to feel guilty for everything he had to go through. And Toby didn't like it when he found out today. Anyway, I can understand that he got mad, because he was really close to Caleb's grandpa, but he crossed the line. He was too hard on Caleb and he doesn't know how things really happened"

Spencer "I'm sorry, Han… I'll talk to Toby about it… well, not now, because we aren't speaking. But when we make up, I'll try to make him come to his sense and talk to Caleb"

Alison "What's going on between you and Toby, Spence?"

Spencer "We have been fighting a lot lately and it sucks"

Hanna "I don't get it. I thought you two were doing great… that the pregnancy had brought you closer than ever…"

Spencer "Uh huh… that was at first. Now it seems like we can't stop arguing and last night we had this huge fight… I ended up sending him to sleep on the couch"

Aria "What happened?"

Spencer "He just doesn't understand me and he puts no effort in trying to do so. He is doing too many night shifts and I get worried sick when he is gone all night long. I can't sleep thinking that something bad could happen to him"

Alison "But that's his job, Spence. He is a cop"

Spencer "I know, but I'm pregnant. I just want him to stop it"

Emily "Maybe he can't"

Spencer "He didn't try. I want him to talk to his boss and ask him to stop making him do night shifts. That is all I ask"

Hanna knows what it feels like not being able to sleep at night, when fear doesn't let you sleep, so she can't help being on Spencer's side. "I get you, Spence… maybe you should try to talk to him calmly. Try to explain him how anxious you get. I'm sure he will come around and do something about it. Maybe he won't be able to stop working at night, but I don't know, maybe you can find a way to work it out"

Spencer is on the verge of tears now. "Yeah… I don't care if he finds a way to fix it or not… I just want him to understand me. We haven't talked since last night and I hate being like this with him… anyway, I'll talk to him about what happened with Caleb as soon as possible"

Hanna "No, don't worry about it. Maybe Toby was over-sensitive because of your fight and he took his anger out on Caleb or something like that… Besides, I would like to talk to Toby myself, Spence…"

Spencer nods. "Okay"

Emily "Hey! Everything will get better. I'm sure Toby and Caleb will sort things out and you too, Spence. You and Toby love each other so much, you will find a way"

Hanna "Yes, you will" she smiles at Spencer. "Besides, you have a beautiful baby on the way" she places her hand on Spencer's tummy although she isn't showing yet. "I wanna see those pics from the ultrasound, by the way"

Spencer chuckles although her eyes are still watery. "I've got them in my purse. I'll go get them" she says and leaves the living room to go to the kitchen where she left her purse earlier.

Hanna checks her phone again and there's no text from Caleb, so she texts him again.

Hanna: _Baby? Are you still there? You fell asleep?_

Spencer comes back and Hanna finally gets to see those prints of her baby. Caleb was right, there isn't much to see in the pics, but Spencer seems so proud and happy. Hanna is sure she would feel the same way if those prints were from an ultrasound of hers. She shares her friend's happiness and hugs her while congratulating her on the baby again.

Hanna takes her phone again and is about to text Caleb once more, but right when she starts to type, she gets a text from him.

Caleb: _Yeah, I'm still here, but I'm going to bed now. See you tomorrow._

Hanna: _You okay, tho?_

Caleb: _Yeah, why wouldn't I be? Everything is fine. I just wanted to see you, but I'm glad you are getting along with your friends again. Have fun!_

Hanna: _Okay… sleep well, baby._

Caleb: _Night, Han._

What Hanna doesn't know is that Caleb isn't really going to bed yet. He is in his backyard, lying on a lounger, staring at the starry sky above him. And he has lied to her. He is not okay. He is feeling a bit lonely and upset, and that is not due to only one reason, there are a lot of things that have him feeling like that. Firstly, the fight he had with Toby (although he won't admit, not even to himself, that he cares about Toby and that that fight hurt), secondly, he is missing his grandfather because what Toby told him made him think a lot about all the things he could have shared with him but he didn't, and finally, what Mona told him about Hanna is upsetting him too. He doesn't know what to do about it. Of course that if that job is as important for Hanna's career as Mona said, he should try to convince Hanna to go to that job interview instead of going to the one she has at the mall. But there's also a part of him that is afraid of having to spend so much time without Hanna if she decides to move back to New York City. Seeing her only on weekends won't be enough.

Chocolate shows up and sits down on the ground next to Caleb.

Caleb "Hey, Chocolate" he takes his hand to the dog's back and starts to stroke his fur. "What am I gonna do?"

Chocolate tilts his head to the side like if he were trying to understand what Caleb is telling him.

Caleb "I don't even recognize myself, buddy… Never in my life I have depended on anyone, but now I can't be away from that hottie you have for an owner, not even for a day. I barely saw her this afternoon but I miss her already… This is freaking me out"

Chocolate just closes his eyes, enjoying Caleb's massage.

Caleb knows that Hanna, unlike him, has a family, friends, she has life goals and dreams. And he only lives for her. She is all he has, and that is not okay. What is going to be of him when she is not around. He thought she was clingy, but now he realizes that she was just being clingy to him because she was sad and scared after what happened to her, and she wasn't getting along with her friends. But now that she is doing better, he realizes that maybe, he is the clingy one in the relationship, not her. He needs Hanna to need him. Realizing how dependent he actually is of Hanna, pisses him off. He couldn't be happier that Hanna is doing good again, that she seems to be back to normal. But there's a selfish part of him that wants her all for himself. He hates himself for that. He needs to go back to normal too. He needs to become independent again.

/

Back to Hanna's place.

Spencer "Well, I should get going now…" she says at some point and stands up from the couch.

Alison, Emily and Aria left a while ago. But Spencer and Hanna have been chatting for a little longer.

Hanna "You can stay the night here if you want…" she offers, since Toby is at work and she doesn't want Spencer to be home alone worrying about him again.

Spencer shoots her a slight smile. "Thank you, Han… but I want to be home when Toby gets back from work. I need to talk to him, we need to work things out. We can't continue like this"

Hanna nods. "Okay… just call me if you need anything" she says and looks at the time on her cell phone.

Spencer starts to look for her car keys into purse.

Hanna "Mmh… I thought it was later…" she says at seeing that it is not even midnight yet. "Could you please wait for me five minutes? I'm leaving with you. I just need to pack a bag"

Spencer smiles amused. "Are you planning to pay a visit to certain neighbor of mine maybe?"

Hanna "Maybe" she smiles amused too. "Caleb must be sleeping already, but I'll go anyway"

Spencer "He gave Toby a key to his house when he was helping him with the renovations. I'll give it to you"

/

Hanna parks her car in front of Caleb's house and Spencer parks Toby's pickup truck in her driveway. They meet at Spencer's front door and she gets in the house for a moment to go for Caleb's key.

Spencer "Here" he says while handing over the key. "Have fun"

Hanna laughs. "Thank you" she grabs the key and starts walking away. "Call me if you need to talk to someone, Spence"

Spencer nods. "I will. Night, Han"

Hanna "Night!"

/

Hanna gets into Caleb's house. All lights are off in the ground floor so she uses her phone to illuminate her way upstairs. She goes straight to the bedroom, but when she gets there, surprisingly for her, Caleb is not in the bed. There are lights coming from the window, they come from the backyard. She approaches the window and looks out. There he is. He is cuddling with Chocolate on a lounger by the side of the pool. She smiles and throws her bag on Caleb's bed before leaving the room to go join them.

As soon as Hanna goes outside, Chocolate stands up and goes greet her.

Hanna "Hi, baby bear! How are you doing?" she pets his fur.

Caleb looks at her. "What are you doing here?"

Hanna smiles at him although he has a serious expression on his face. "I thought you wanted to see me"

Caleb doesn't say a word and looks back at the pool in front of him.

Hanna stares at him very confused. Caleb keeps staring into the space as if she wasn't there, so after some seconds, Hanna goes sit down on the lounger next to him.

Hanna "What's wrong?"

Caleb "Nothing"

Hanna "Come on, Caleb… is it about what happened with Toby?"

Caleb "I told you I don't give a shit about it. I'm just chilling out here"

Hanna "You are in a really bad mood"

Caleb "I'm not"

Hanna "Tell me what's wrong…"

Caleb "I'm just trying to relax here and you are bothering me"

Hanna "What? I am bothering you, Caleb? You wanted to pick me up at my place, I thought you wanted to see me"

Caleb interrupts her. "I was just horny. I just wanted to fuck…" he shrugs. "It was fine, you didn't have to come all the way here"

Hanna "What did you just say?"

Caleb "I didn't ask you to come over, you should have stayed with your friends"

Hanna "What's with you, Caleb? You are being an ass" she stands up from her lounger and starts walking away.

Caleb "You leaving?"

Hanna "Of course I'm leaving. Isn't it what you want, anyway?"

Caleb "Oh, come on. Are you seriously mad? I was just saying that you didn't have to come only because I asked to pick you up. You were with your friends and we had just seen each other this afternoon. It's not like we have to be together all the time. You also stayed here last night, Hanna"

Hanna "If you wanted me to leave you alone, you could have just asked it. You didn't need to be so harsh" she says and gets back into the house.

Hanna is so pissed off that she forgets to go get her bag back from Caleb's bedroom. She goes straight to the front door and leaves.

/

Back in the backyard, Caleb is still lying on the lounger. Chocolate is staring at the back door like if he were waiting for Hanna to come back or something. If Caleb was already angry with himself before, now he is even more. He doesn't know why he just treated Hanna the way he did. He takes a moment to cool off and then he grabs his phone to call her. She doesn't answer her phone.

* * *

Hi guys :) I took a bit longer to update this time, but it's because I've had crazy weeks at work lately. I've even worked on weekends, and it's not easy to write when you are so tired. Anyway, I also wanted to let you know that I've created an IG account to get more readers from there. It's "Haleb. By. Allegra" (without the spaces, of course). I'm not so active on that account because I only created it for more people to know this story, but you might follow it if you want :)  
About this chapter, now that Hanna is doing well, Caleb has some things going on. Let's see how they deal with that...


	39. Chapter 39

Spencer is about to get in bed when the doorbell rings. She grabs her robe and puts it on while going down the stairs. Her heart speeds up as her worry grows, maybe something happened to Toby.

By the time she gets to the front door, she is sure she will find a cop standing out there, one of Toby's coworkers, ready to give her some kind of bad news. She opens the door right away.

Spencer "Hey! It's you…" she feels a huge relief at seeing that it's just Hanna. "You scared the hell out of me, Han!"

Hanna "I'm sorry, Spence. I didn't have my phone to text you before coming over… can you call me a cab, please?"

Spencer looks at her confused.

Hanna "I locked myself out of Caleb's house. I left the key to his place inside with all my stuff, including my phone and the keys to my car and my house"

Spencer "Caleb wasn't home?" she is still confused.

Hanna looks down.

Spencer "What's wrong, Han?"

Hanna "I made a mistake, I shouldn't have showed up at his place just like that"

Spencer "Why don't you come inside?"

Hanna nods and steps into her friend's house.

Spencer "Wanna talk?" she asks after closing the door, while they both go to the living room.

Hanna "Just call me a cab, Spence… I don't want to bother you this late"

Spencer "Don't be silly, Han… Just tell me what's wrong"

Hanna "I think Caleb is getting tired of me"

Spencer notices Hanna's sad eyes. "That can't be true… what made you think that way, Han? Caleb loves you" she shoots Hanna a warm smile.

Hanna "I'm not saying that he doesn't love me… I'm just saying that he is getting tired of hanging out with me so often" she sits down on the couch.

Spencer sits down next to her. "He loves being with you, Han. He said it the other night, when Emily and I were in the kitchen with him, before you showed up in there, he said that you had been stuck to one another since you met and that he loved his clingy Hanna"

Hanna "He said I was clingy? He called me clingy Hanna and you guys didn't say anything to me?"

Spencer "Hey, chill! I'm telling you that he said it as something positive. He said he loved it"

Hanna "Well, he changed his mind then"

Spencer "Tell me what happened"

Hanna "I only came to his place because he wanted to pick me up at my place before and I said no because I was with you and the guys. But he was in a really bad mood when I got there and he told me that I shouldn't have come over. That he was just horny and wanted to fuck, like it was no big deal… that he didn't want to see me so bad anyway, and that I should have stayed with you guys because we had been together earlier today and also the night before and that we didn't have to be together all the time"

Spencer "What a jerk!"

Hanna "Yeah, I know"

Spencer "But still, it is so unlike him… he is not a jerk, he is not like that"

Hanna "Uh huh, I know that too"

Spencer "It's so strange, I don't get why he would say those things to you"

Hanna starts to play with one of her rings, twirling it between her fingers as she stares at it. "He has had a shitty day… I think he just treated me the way he did because he was in a bad mood. But still, when he said that we didn't have to be together all the time, it sounded like he said it seriously. He meant it" she puts her ring back on her finger and looks up at Spencer. "What should I do?"

Spencer "I don't know, Han… I think I'm in no position to give relationship advice when I'm about to ask the father of my baby for a break"

Hanna "You serious? You are gonna ask Toby for a break?"

Spencer nods while looking down. "I just made up my mind today… I'll move back in my parents' barn for a while"

Hanna "I'm sorry, Spence… I came to you with my stupid problems when you have your own stuff going on" she reaches out and takes Spencer's hand.

Spencer shoots Hanna a very slight smile. "It's fine, Han. I'm here for you… it's just that I really don't know what to tell you… maybe you should just wait and see what happens tomorrow. Caleb surely owes you an apology"

Hanna "Yeah, I'll do that. I'll just wait and see what happens tomorrow"

Spencer "Want to stay the night here?"

Hanna only looks at her, she doesn't want to be a bother, but at the same time, she could use a friend and she has the feeling that Spencer could use some company too.

Spencer "Really. It's not like Toby will get to sleep in the same bed as me anyway, he is crashing on the couch again, so there's room for you in my bed. Besides, how are you planning to get into your house without a key? Your mom is at Ted's"

Hanna smiles a little. "I was planning to slip in through a window, but I think I should better stay here"

Spencer stands up from the couch. "Let's go get you something to wear to bed"

Hanna gets up as well and follows her upstairs.

/

Caleb gets back inside after being in the backyard for another half an hour calling Hanna on her phone. He goes upstairs to his bedroom. That's when he realizes why Hanna hasn't been answering her phone. Her cell phone is on his bed, with all her stuff.

Caleb "Hanna?" he calls for her, thinking that maybe she didn't leave after all. "Han?" he repeats, but it's obvious she isn't there. All lights were out when he got in the house.

Caleb goes down the stairs again and then back outside, but this time, he goes out the front door. Hanna's car is still parked there in front of his house. She didn't leave, but she is not in his house either. After a moment of confusion, he realizes, Hanna must be with Spencer in the house next door. He just goes back inside.

/

Next morning.

Monday.

Caleb gets up early, showers really fast, skips breakfast and goes straight to Toby and Spencer's place. Knowing that Toby could answer the door, he takes the risk and rings the doorbell anyway. He is carrying Hanna's bag, ready to talk to her. He owes her an apology, he acted like a jerk and he knows it.

Luckily for him, Spencer shows up at the door.

Spencer "Hey" she smiles at seeing Caleb standing there, she knew that he wasn't a jerk after all.

Caleb "Hey, Spence… Hanna is here, right? I really need to talk to her"

Spencer "She left like half an hour ago. She didn't want to be late for her job interview, so I lent her my car"

Caleb "Oh… I didn't know the interview was so early… she went straight to the mall?"

Spencer shakes her head no. "No, you know Hanna… the job interview is in like two hours, but she takes her time to do her hair, make-up and stuff"

Caleb nods.

Spencer "She went home. You should go talk to her, Caleb"

Caleb "Yeah, I will"

Toby shows up and stands behind Spencer's back. "What are you doing here?" his hair is messy, since he was just sleeping on the couch and got up when he heard Spencer talking to Caleb. "I don't want to see you in my property anymore. Stay away from my house and Spencer"

Spencer "He is just looking for Hanna, leave him alone"

Toby "Yeah, he should leave Hanna alone too, he obviously did something for her to end up staying the night here" he tells Spencer and keeps confronting Caleb. "You know what? You should move your fucking ass out of the town and leave all of us alone"

Spencer "What the hell, Toby?" she can't believe him.

Caleb "It's fine, Spence, I'll should get going" he says and walks away.

Spencer looks at Toby. She is really mad. She was waiting for him to have some rest after working all night long before talking to him, but now she can't wait any longer. "We need to talk"

/

Caleb parks in front of Hanna's house and grabs her bag from the passenger seat. He is in her car, since he wanted to bring it back to her. He gets out of the car and goes open the rear door for Chocolate.

Caleb "Come on, buddy. Let's go"

Chocolate jumps out of the car and runs straight to the front door. Caleb walks there too and rings the doorbell.

Ashley "Hi, Caleb"

Caleb "Good morning, Ashley… is Hanna home?"

Ashley "Yes…" she says while smiling at Chocolate who is greeting her excitedly. "Come in…" she tells Caleb as she pets the dog.

Caleb steps inside and Ashley closes the door, then she heads to the staircase.

Ashley "Hanna is in the kitchen… she is making breakfast"

Caleb "Thank you"

Chocolate follows Ashley upstairs and Caleb goes to the kitchen.

Caleb "Hey…" he greets Hanna softly, he is sure she is still pissed at him.

Hanna leaves what she is doing and turns around to look at him. She is wearing a bath robe, her hair is still wet from her shower and she hasn't done her make-up yet. "Hey, babe" she greets him back and shoots him a slight smile that takes him by surprise. "Want some coffee?"

Caleb just keeps staring at her. He doesn't know what he was expecting from her, but it was definitely not a warm greeting, much less a smile, or even a ' _babe_ '.

Hanna "So… you want coffee or not?" she asks again.

Caleb shakes his head no while staring at her. He looks like hypnotized.

Hanna "Okay…" she only says and goes back to preparing breakfast.

Caleb reacts now and puts Hanna's bag on the kitchen island. "I was an ass last night, Han. I'm really sorry about it. I didn't mean to-"

Hanna "It's fine, Caleb" she cuts him off. "You were just having a bad day… I've done the same to you, I've treated you like shit many times while I was in a bad mood. Don't worry"

Caleb "Still, it wasn't right and I'm really sorry… I feel very ashamed of how I treated you"

Hanna approaches him. "It's fine. Really… besides, I shouldn't have just showed up at your place like that"

Caleb gets closer to her and can't help taking her face in his hands, she looks so beautiful, that angel face of hers looks flawless even in the morning, without any make-up on. Not to mention those piercing blue eyes she's got. He cups her cheeks and caresses her with his thumbs.

Caleb "No, that was right. Actually, I hope you keep doing it…" he traces her lips with one of his thumbs.

Hanna smiles a little and places her hands on his forearms.

Caleb leans in and they both open their mouths to start a kiss, but suddenly, something hits Caleb from behind and he loses stability. It almost made him fall all over Hanna and crush her against the kitchen island, but he reaches out and places one of his hands on the countertop for support just in time, so he doesn't get to hurt Hanna.

Caleb "You okay?"

Hanna chuckles. "Yeah" she pulls away from Caleb at seeing that it was Chocolate. "Hi, baby!" she smiles widely while hugging the dog. "You happy you came to visit me?"

Caleb "Visit?... He came back home…"

Hanna lets go of Chocolate and looks at Caleb. Caleb is smiling, but when he gets to see Hanna's serious face, he gets serious too.

Hanna "You should keep him, Caleb… I should be the one visiting him every so often, not you" she says and looks down at Chocolate who is licking her hand.

Caleb "What? Why?"

Hanna "I've lost him twice already. I think he is better off with you. You can look after him way better than me"

Caleb chuckles. What Hanna just said sounds ridiculous to him.

Hanna "Don't laugh. I'm serious. Besides, I can't even walk him anymore"

Caleb "Hanna, you didn't lose Chocolate. The first time, he ran away because he got scared, there's nothing you could have done to stop him because he is much stronger than you. And the second time was definitely not your fault either, in no way, and you know it. It was those sons of bitches. They did it"

Hanna is still looking down at Chocolate. "Still"

Caleb "Well, I'm not keeping him"

Hanna looks up at him now. She looks surprised.

Caleb "He is your dog, Han. We can walk him together just like we did yesterday and before you know, you will be able to walk him by yourself again"

Ashley shows up in the kitchen. "Hanna, what happened with breakfast?" she asks amused at seeing that her daughter has abandoned her task. Something that she offered to do herself, by the way.

Hanna "Oh, I'm sorry, mom... I'm almost done" she says and goes back to preparing some eggs.

Ashley "You are staying for breakfast, right Caleb?"

Caleb "Thanks, Ashley… but I've already had breakfast" he lies. "I should get going"

Hanna "Are you going to the Radley already? If you are late for work for having breakfast with your boss, it doesn't count… Right, mom?"

Ashley laughs. "Right"

Caleb smiles. "I'm joining the gym before going to the Radley. That's where I'm going"

Hanna "Oh, okay, then…"

Caleb approaches Hanna and kisses her cheek as she keeps making breakfast. "See you later" he tells her and turns away. "Bye, Ashley"

Hanna "Aren't you going to wish me luck for my job interview?"

Caleb "You know what I think about it, Han" he says and leaves.

Ashley "What was that?" she asks Hanna, confused.

Hanna "He doesn't want me to work at the mall. He wants me to start my own business making my dresses"

Ashley "Why don't you listen to him?"

Hanna "Because that's insane. He is insane. I can't just start a business"

Ashley "It doesn't have to be a big thing, sweetie. You can start little by little"

Hanna "Here is your breakfast, mom" he hands Ashley a plate.

Ashley looks at the big mess Hanna has made in her kitchen, only to prepare a simple breakfast. "Hanna! What did you do to my kitchen?"

Hanna smiles amused. "Weren't you happy to have me back home, mom?"

Ashley rolls her eyes and sits at the table to eat her not-so-tasty-looking breakfast. "No wonder Caleb didn't stay for breakfast" she says amused while staring at her plate and laughs.

Hanna laughs too and joins her mom at the table.

Chocolate approaches Hanna and starts begging for food.

Hanna smiles at him. "Finally, someone appreciates my food!"

/

Later.

Hanna leaves the mall after having had her job interview and stops by at some food place to pick up something for lunch, then she goes to The Radley Hotel. She wants to move on from what happened the night before with Caleb. He already apologized and she just wants to be okay with him.

She steps into the hotel and goes straight to her mother's office, since she doesn't know where is Caleb's. But she isn't lucky to find Ashley there. She leaves her mom's office to just go to the front desk and ask for Caleb there, but on the way there, she finds a hotel cleaner and decides to ask her. The woman doesn't even know who Caleb is, but when Hanna describes him as the new guy who just started working there, on the security system, the woman quickly recognizes him and lets her know that she saw him going have lunch with some of his co-workers, and among them, she mentions two girls who work at the bar, which makes Hanna a bit jealous, because she has seen how good looking the girls from the bar are.

She leaves The Radley and gets back in her car. She is about to call Spencer because she needs someone to talk to, but then she decides against it. Spencer has already her own issues. She calls Aria instead, and turns out that she is home alone and hasn't had lunch yet, so there she goes.

She updates Aria on everything that happened with Caleb the night before while they eat the food she was supposed to eat with Caleb at The Radley. And then she also tells Aria about his brief visit at her place that morning.

Aria "So you forgave him just like that?"

Hanna "Yeah… I just didn't want to make a big deal of what happened last night"

Aria "And now he stood you up for lunch?"

Hanna "I don't know, maybe he just forgot he asked me to come for lunch… he only mentioned it when we were chilling out in the hot tub like two days ago and it's not like we set up a time to meet up"

Aria "So what's the problem? I'm not following you, I thought you were upset because he didn't have lunch with you"

Hanna "I'm worried because if he really wanted to have lunch with me, he would have asked it again. But he didn't… and if what happened last night, hadn't happened, I wouldn't mind about today's lunch. But what he said last night plus he choosing to have lunch with his coworkers instead of calling me, makes me think that it is true that he doesn't want to see me so often"

Aria "I think you are overthinking it, Han… guys don't pay too much attention to what they do. He probably forgot that he asked you to have lunch together the other day"

Hanna "Spencer told me to wait and see what happens"

Aria "I think she is right, Han. Just let it be… give him some space, wait for him to text or call you, to come out with a plan, to ask you out, or something"

Hanna nods and falls silent. For a couple of minutes, they just have lunch quietly. But then, Hanna gets back to the conversation.

Hanna "What if I give him too much space and he ends up getting bored of me? Or what if he is having doubts and I don't do anything and he ends up breaking up with me?"

Aria can't help smiling at finding Hanna too cute while worrying so much.

Hanna "Don't smile, I'm serious. What if he leaves me?"

Aria "Han! Please! Stop worrying so much! What happened between you and Caleb last night can't even be labeled as a fight. He made a mistake by treating you the way he did, and you already forgave him. That's all. You can't get worried only because he didn't call you to have lunch together today. He is a guy, they don't pay attention to details like we do"

Hanna sighs. "Okay, fine… I'll just wait for him to text me"

Aria smiles amused. "Chill, Han. The guy is crazy about you"

They keep having lunch while talking about random things, then Hanna helps Aria clear the table.

Hanna "Do you have plans for today?"

Aria "Well… I should probably get back to writing, but I'm not so inspired… I'm kind of blocked. Why do you ask?"

Hanna "I have Spencer's car parked at my place and I have to drive it back to her place. I was thinking you could come with me to my place so you can drive my car to Spencer's while I drive hers. Besides, Spencer and Toby aren't doing good… I think we should go check on her"

Aria "Sure, let's go… but, isn't she at work?"

Hanna "No, she took the day off"

/

Hanna and Aria go to Spencer's place. Spencer answers the door and they both know right away that they did well by going to check on her. Spencer looks terrible, swollen eyes, messy hair, still in her pajamas. Hanna and Aria spend the rest of the day at Spencer's, comforting and taking care of her. They also convince her to eat something for her baby's sake. Spencer tells them about the talk she had with Toby, and how sad he was when she asked him for a break, the way both of them couldn't stop shedding tears and how heart-breaking the whole thing was. She even starts to cry again while telling. They stay there until dinner when Emily shows up to stay with Spencer so Hanna and Aria can go home. They don't want to leave their friend alone.

Hanna has to take Aria back to her place, so they both walk to her car. Hanna heads to the driver side and can't help taking a look at Caleb's place while opening the door.

Hanna "He is home…" she says, still staring at Caleb's house.

Aria "Don't you even think about going there. Just get in the car and wait for him to show up. He screwed up last night, you didn't do anything wrong"

Hanna "I know… but I really want a kiss… we almost kissed this morning, but Chocolate interrupted us"

Aria laughs. "What? You don't kiss in front of Chocolate? He is a dog"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "No, you idiot. Of course we kiss in front of him, but he practically leaped at us and we almost fell" she sighs and finally gets in the car. "He didn't even text me today"

Aria gets in the car too. "Han, he is already your boyfriend. He will text you sooner or later. Chill"

Hanna nods and starts the car.

Aria "Should I take your phone?" she says amused.

Hanna can't help but smile. "No, I still have some self-control left"

Aria "Sure"

Hanna chuckles. "I won't text him first, I promise"

/

The next day.

It's afternoon and Hanna hasn't gotten a text from Caleb yet. And of course, she is going crazy, overthinking, not being able to turn her mind off. On top of that, she hasn't had any news about the job at the mall. They haven't called her. She is in the living room, sitting on the couch upside down, feeling completely frustrated when Chocolate comes from the kitchen and starts to lick her face non-stop, causing Hanna to start to laugh out loud as she tries to sit up but she can't.

Hanna "Gosh, Chocolate! You just drank water!" she yells between laughing, since Chocolate's snout is all wet and cold against her face.

Ashley gets home from work and goes to the living room at hearing her daughter laughing like crazy.

Ashley "Hanna! Don't let him lick your face like that! Sit up!"

Chocolate leaves Hanna and goes greet Ashley.

Hanna "It's fine, mom" she says, not caring.

Ashley "Hi, buddy" she greets Chocolate back while petting him. "What are you up to?" she asks Hanna.

Hanna finally sits up, turns around and sits on the couch like a normal person. "Nothing… I'm just bored"

Ashley "Why don't you take Chocolate for a walk?" she suggests, not having a clue about the real reason why Hanna hasn't walked the dog lately.

Hanna "I think I'll better go to Spencer's. She isn't doing so well"

Ashley "Is there anything wrong with the pregnancy?"

Hanna "No, she and the baby are perfectly well… she is having some issues with Toby" she says while standing up from the couch.

Ashley "Oh… I'm sure they will be fine. It's perfectly normal not to get along with your partner during pregnancy. It's all about the hormones… I could barely stand your father during the third trimester. They will work it out"

Hanna "Yeah… I guess" she grabs the keys to her car. "Wanna come with me, Chocolate?" she asks the dog and before she can even finish the question, he is already standing by the front door.

Ashley "Why don't you walk there? It's close and Chocolate could use some exercise" she keeps insisting.

Hanna "I don't feel like walking, mom…" she just says and leaves.

/

Hanna parks her car right in front of Caleb's house, since the spot in front of Spencer's house is occupied by Alison's car. And of course there are some other spaces where she could park her car, but she parks in front of Caleb's place on purpose.

Caleb's car is not in his driveway anyway, and she wonders where he could be while walking toward Spencer's place with Chocolate.

/

Hanna is glad that she took Chocolate with her, because he sticks to Spencer as if he could sense her sadness and Spencer cuddles with him on the couch, she hugs him like if he were a huge teddy bear while chatting with Alison and Hanna about random things, trying not to think about Toby.

At some point as they talk, Hanna's phone buzzes and her heart skips a beat at seeing that it's a text from Caleb. Finally! She thinks right away and rushes to read the message.

Caleb: _Babe, are you at Spencer's?_

Hanna: _Hey! :) Yeah, I'm here._

Caleb: _Wanna stop by at my place when you leave?_

Hanna frowns while reading that text.

Spencer notices it. "What's up, Han?"

Hanna "Nothing…" she doesn't want to bother Spencer with her problems again. They are silly problems compared to what she is going through.

Spencer "Come on, tell me"

Alison "Is that Caleb?" she asks, since Hanna has updated her on everything that happened too.

Hanna "Uh huh… check this text, guys" she hands them her phone.

Spencer "What's the problem?" she looks at Hanna confused after having read the texts.

Alison "He texted you! Wasn't it what you wanted?"

Hanna "Yeah, but what about that ' _stop by_ '?"

Alison and Spencer look at each other confused. They don't get Hanna.

Hanna "He didn't ask if I wanted to ' _come over_ ', he said ' _stop by_ ' meaning that he wants me to go for a little while and then leave"

Spencer and Alison laugh.

Hanna "Hey!"

Spencer "Aria was right, you are overthinking, Han. Just go see him"

Alison "Yeah, I agree with Spence, Han… but if you want to test him, go see him for just a few minutes and then find a really silly excuse to leave… if he wants you to stay, he will say something"

Hanna "Yeah, I'll do that! You are such a genius, Ali!"

Alison "I know" she smiles cockily.

Hanna: _Okay, I'll go in a little while._

Caleb: _K :)_

Hanna stays another half an hour at Spencer's and then she goes to Caleb's. Spencer seems so comfy cuddling with Chocolate, that Hanna leaves him at her place while she goes see Caleb.

Caleb opens the door with a smile on his face and Hanna can't help smiling too.

Caleb "Hi, baby"

Hanna "Hey" she greets him back as he grabs her by the waist and pulls her closer to him.

Caleb "How are you doing?" he asks, very close to her face.

Hanna "Good… you?" she asks while caressing his hair softly.

Caleb doesn't answer, he only smiles at her and catches her mouth between his lips, starting a kiss. Hanna kisses him back right away, she really wanted that kiss. Caleb always tastes so good and his lips are so soft that she wants to lick and suck them forever.

But Caleb pulls away from her shortly after. And Hanna is about to grab his face and keep kissing him, but he speaks.

Caleb "Let's go inside… I wanted to talk to you about something" he takes her hand and leads her inside.

Hanna curses at herself. She knew that something was going on with Caleb, she shouldn't have listened to her friends. She should have talked to Caleb sooner.

They go to the living room and Hanna sits down on the couch. Caleb instead, goes look for something on the TV cabinet. Then he joins her on the couch.

Caleb "You okay?" he asks at noticing her worried face.

Hanna only nods. She is nervous because she really doesn't know what he is going to come out with. Is he going to ask her for a break maybe? Just like Spencer did with Toby? She can't help worrying. She thought he wanted to see her to just spend some time together, she wasn't expecting to have a serious talk.

Caleb just smiles at her. He has no clue what's going on in her mind, so he just presses a kiss to her cheek and hands her what seems to be a little paper. "Here" he says.

Hanna frowns and grabs the paper, she is a bit confused. She takes a look at it. It's not a paper. It's a check. A twenty-freaking-thousand-dollar check. And it has her name written on it. She looks up at Caleb, still confused.

Caleb "Start making your dresses. You don't need that job at the mall"

Hanna "I told you I don't want your money, Caleb" she finally says after some more seconds of confusion. He caught her by surprise, completely.

Caleb "I know, but… come on, Han! Just take it. You don't need to wait any longer to-"

Hanna "Caleb!" she cuts him off. "I don't need your money" she says again and breaks the check in two pieces. "I don't want it" she puts the broken check on the coffee table and then stands up from the couch. "I gotta go back to Spencer's" she heads back to the front door.

Caleb gets up too and goes after her. "Wait, don't get mad, I just-"

Hanna "I'm not mad" she says and looks at him.

Caleb "Okay, then give me a goodbye kiss at least"

Hanna gets closer to him and gives him a kiss on the mouth. "Bye, babe"

Caleb "See you" he says and steals another brief kiss from her. "Think about it at least, Han"

Hanna doesn't say anything else and goes back to Spencer's.

Alison "You are back already? What happened?"

Hanna rolls her eyes. "He only wanted to give me a twenty-thousand-dollar check for me to start making dresses"

Alison's mouth falls open. "He gave you twenty thousand dollars?" she asks surprised.

Spencer is as surprised as Alison is, but she just stares at Hanna, waiting for more information.

Hanna "No. I just broke the check. I had already told him that I didn't want his money, that I would do this on my own. I can't believe him. He didn't even text me to ask how I did at the job interview. He didn't show up since yesterday morning and now he wants to give me twenty thousand dollars"

Spencer "Are you insane, Hanna? Just take the money and start making dresses"

Hanna "No! I won't take his money. Besides, it's a lot of money. I don't need that much money. And even if they were just one hundred dollars, I wouldn't take it either. And you know what? I didn't even have to make up an excuse to leave. I only told him that I had to go and he let me go just like that. He didn't even ask what I was up to, he didn't ask me to stay not even five more minutes"

Alison laughs. "Knock it off, Hanna! You can be sure he is not planning to break up with you, no one in their right mind would give that amount of money to someone they are planning to leave" she says very amused.

Hanna sighs and flops down on a chair. "Whatever"

/

Hanna and Alison stay at Spencer's for dinner and then they leave. They both offered to stay the night with Spencer for her not to be alone, but she refused to let them stay, saying that they had already done a lot for her and that she felt better anyway.

Now Hanna is back home. She is in her bed, waiting for Caleb to pick up his phone.

Caleb "Han!" he gets her call after a few rings.

Hanna "Hey… can you make me a favor?"

Caleb "Sure, babe"

Hanna "Spencer asked Toby for a break today and so he moved out of their place"

Caleb "Really? I knew they weren't okay, but I didn't think it was so bad"

Hanna "Yeah, neither I did… she told him she would move out for a while, but he refused to let her do so and he left himself so she could stay in their house"

Caleb "Well, the guy is an ass but at least he still has some decency left"

Hanna "Toby is not an ass, babe. He is one of the sweetest guys I've ever known. And he is also very thoughtful, that's why he gave Spencer the break she asked for and also let her stay in the house. I'm sure he will come around and apologize to you very soon"

Caleb "Whatever, he can go fuck himself. I don't care. What is that favor you want me to do?"

Hanna "I'll talk to Toby tomorrow, you two need to have an adult conversation already" she says, ignoring what Caleb just told her.

Caleb "Hanna, stay out of this. I'm not interested in being friends with Toby, just accept it. When you weren't speaking to your friends, I stayed out of it. So, don't meddle in this" he says firmly.

Hanna "Okay, fine" she only says, although she is planning to talk to Toby anyway.

Caleb "So, what do you want me to do for you?"

Hanna "Nothing… it's just that Spencer is home alone… very sad… and pregnant… and you are right at the house next door. I just wanted you to keep an eye on her. I mean… well, it's not like you can just go check on her, but… I don't know, I'm worried about her and you are so close, I just thought-"

Caleb smiles and interrupts her. "Don't worry, babe. I'll text her, she can reach out to me if she needs anything at any time"

Hanna "Thank you, Caleb"

Caleb "No problem"

Hanna "What are you up to?"

Caleb "Not much… I'll just take a shower and go straight to bed… you?"

Hanna "I'm in bed already"

Caleb "What about Chocolate?

Hanna "He is here too… sleeping"

They both fall silent.

Hanna "Well…"

Caleb "Okay, I'll…"

They start speaking at the same time so both of them go silent again to let the other speak.

Caleb "What, Han?" he asks after a couple of seconds of awkward silence.

Hanna "Nothing… I was just going to say goodbye… what were you going to tell me?"

Caleb "I was going to say goodbye too… I'm exhausted from work and the gym…"

Hanna "Oh, okay then go take your shower now so you can go to bed"

Caleb "Uh huh… night, baby. Sleep well"

Hanna "You too, have rest"

Caleb "Yeah… see you" he says and ends the call.

Hanna sighs and looks down at her phone for a couple of seconds before putting it on the bedside table. Then she turns off the lamp and lies down on her side to cuddle up against her asleep dog. Cuddling with Chocolate is one of her favorite things in the world, but she misses Caleb's body spooning her. It's like the cuddling isn't complete without him. She wonders if that awkwardness between them will go away soon. Maybe it's just her. Maybe she is overthinking too much, like her friends said. But on the other hand, she knows that Caleb is acting weird. But then again, he could simply have had a busy day and be truly tired as he said, and that's why he didn't ask to spend some time together, and it has nothing to do with the things he said the other night. Not being able to shut her brain off, Hanna grabs her phone, plugs in her headphones and listens to some music until she finally falls asleep.


	40. Chapter 40

Hanna is at The Brew having an iced latte. She is on her phone and looks up when someone sits at her table, across from her.

Hanna "Hey!" she smiles.

Toby "Hi, Han! How are you doing?"

Hanna "I'm pretty well… you?"

Toby just sighs in response.

Hanna "You will get better, Tob… Spencer and you will get through this" she reaches out and places her hand on his arm, comforting him.

Toby "I hope so" he says very softly.

Hanna "What would you like to drink? I'll go get you something" she offers.

Toby "No, it's fine… just tell me what you wanted to talk about… I'm short of time"

Hanna nods and takes a sip of coffee before speaking. "You and Caleb need to have a talk, you two can't just stop speaking to each other because of a stupid misunderstanding. You were getting along so well, it's a-"

Toby cuts her off. "Stupid misunderstanding? The guy is a fucking liar, Hanna. He made up a whole fake life, a family… he only moved to Rosewood once his grandfather was finally dead. He is a wicked son of a bitch"

Hanna "Come on, you got to know him. You can't seriously think that about him"

Toby "No, I thought I knew him, but I didn't. And you don't know him that well either, Hanna. We've known the guy for only a few months. You don't get to know someone fully in such a short time"

Hanna frowns. "I do know him. You can't determine how well you know someone based on time. I've shared so many things with him. He told me a lot of things about his life that you don't know. You shouldn't judge him"

Toby "How can you be so sure that he didn't lie to you too?"

Hanna sighs. This is being harder than she thought. She feels frustrated because Toby isn't even trying.

Toby "Look, Han… I thought you wanted to talk to me about Spencer, that's the only reason why I'm here. To be honest, I've got too many things to worry about at the moment and Caleb isn't one of them. Right now, Spencer and my baby are all I care about"

Hanna nods. She gets him.

Toby "Please Han, if there's something you know I could do to get Spencer back, just tell me"

Hanna smiles at him. "She needs some space right now, but it would be nice if you texted her every so often just to let her know that you are still there for her"

Toby "I need to see her. It's been three days… three freaking long days"

Hanna "I know it's hard, but you need to be patient, Toby"

Toby runs his hands through his hair, he looks frustrated.

Hanna "You look unhappy, Toby… and I'm not talking about what is going on between you and Spencer, you looked unhappy before it… are you okay?"

Toby looks at her but remains silent.

Hanna "Forget for one second that I'm Spencer's friend. I'm your friend too, and you can count on me"

Toby "I've been too stressed out by my job, Han… we are in the middle of something big"

Hanna "What are you up to?" she asks intrigued.

Toby "I can't tell you. It's a secret investigation. I'm not supposed to tell anyone"

Hanna "Does Spencer know about it? Is that why she worries so much about you when you work at night?"

Toby "No, I didn't tell her. I can't. You just said it yourself, she gets worried when I work night shifts, I can't tell her that we are after something, that that is the reason why I can't just stop working at night. She would freak out"

Hanna "Well, this all makes so much more sense now… I think you should tell her anyway, Toby. She thinks you don't understand her and that you don't even try because you don't care. It hurts her"

Toby "No, I won't tell her. We are very close to finish with the investigation, she doesn't need to know. You know what, Han? After what happened to you, I was decided to quit my job. I was pissed off because the police didn't help you. They didn't give a shit about you being missing, and I didn't want to be a part of a useless police department. But then I learnt about what they were up to that night. And yes, they did a mistake because they thought you were one of those people that are just reported missing too soon and then are found safe and sound. They belittled your case. but they would have done something about it if they hadn't been in the middle of a crucial operation for this investigation that night. I wasn't part of it back then, but they made me part of the investigation when I tried to quit... I became a cop because I wanted to help people and that's what I'm doing. But my job isn't more important than Spencer. Once we are done with this investigation, I'll leave the police department for good"

Hanna "Oh my god, Tob… I had no idea…" She is surprised after his confession. "You tried to quit because of what happened to me?"

Toby nods.

Hanna "Spencer needs to know it all, Tob…"

Toby "Don't tell her. I'm trusting you here, Hanna. Please, don't tell her"

Hanna "Of course I won't tell her. You should tell her yourself, Toby. Don't wait any longer, she is so hurt"

Toby "Just a few more days and then I'll talk to her. We are really about to finish with this. We are so close"

Hanna nods.

Toby "Well, I should get going…" he stands up from his chair. "Keep an eye on Spencer, please"

Hanna can see the sadness in his eyes, so she stands up too and hugs him. "Don't worry, the girls and I are taking care of her" she pulls away from him. "You take care too" she shoots him a warm smile.

Toby only nods and leaves.

/

Later.

Hanna is sitting on the couch, she is on her laptop, exploring some other job options in Rosewood. It's been a few days since she had the job interview at the mall and they haven't called her. Chocolate is napping next to her.

She is barefoot and only wearing an oversized t-shirt because, since she wasn't planning to go out again for the day, she changed into more comfortable clothes when she got home from The Brew.

The doorbell rings and Chocolate rushes to the front door. Hanna puts her laptop away and goes answer the door. Aware of the fact that the t-shirt she is wearing barely covers her thighs, she takes a look through the peephole of the door before answering. A smile appears upon her face at seeing that it's Caleb.

She opens the door right away.

Hanna "Hi"

Caleb raises his eyebrows while checking her out completely. "Hey…" he greets her back as he stares at her bare legs. Then he looks back at her face. "I was gonna take Chocolate for a walk… but I can think of a million better things to do right now"

Hanna laughs as she is pushed back inside by Caleb. He kicks the door closed right before crashing his lips to hers. His arms are all wrapped around her body as he kisses her desperately. Hanna slowly slides her arms around his neck and kisses him back the same way.

It's probably the first time Caleb doesn't greet Chocolate back, because even though he can feel the dog's paws on his back, he is too busy with Hanna.

Caleb "You home alone?" he whispers between kisses.

Hanna "Yeah" she says against his lips.

That's all Caleb needs to hear to go on. He lifts her up and she wraps her bare legs around his waist, ready to be carried up the stairs.

In just matter of minutes, they are both naked in Hanna's bed, and after a little foreplay, Caleb finally gets on top of Hanna and connects their bodies. He stays still for a couple of seconds, just kissing her slowly but then he pulls away from her lips and starts thrusting into her.

He opens his eyes and looks at Hanna when he doesn't hear a reaction from her, not even a little moan like the ones he is used to hear from her the second he slides inside. He meets her eyes. She is staring at him.

Caleb "What's wrong? Need a little more foreplay?" he asks while stopping his movements slowly.

Hanna smiles at him. "No… keep going" she says while burying her head into his neck and starts to kiss him there. "Please" she presses her palms to his low back.

Caleb is a bit confused, but he does as he was told and resumes his movements. What he doesn't know is that Hanna was just staring at him because she was happy to having found that connection that they have always had but that lately seemed a bit lost. Little by little he starts to hear Hanna's soft moans in his ear and it reassures him.

Hanna "Let me on top, babe" she says out of breath a while later.

Caleb slides out of her and lies down on his back next to her. Hanna gets on top of him and straddles him, but before she can lower her hips to get their bodies back connected, Caleb reaches out and cups her most sensitive part with his hand. He starts to rub her, she is so warm, swollen and soaking wet that he can't help biting his bottom lip while thinking that he caused it all himself.

Hanna closes her eyes and tilts her head back, enjoying Caleb's touch.

At some point, Caleb runs his hand up, uncovering her entrance, until he reaches her flat stomach.

Caleb "Now, baby" he says and moves both his hands to her hipbones.

Hanna locks eyes with him while lowering her hips until he is all the way back inside her. Then she starts to make those rapid moves that give both of them so much pleasure.

Some minutes later, Hanna comes undone all over Caleb's body after he comes, because she had her own climax right before his and only kept going for him to get there too. Now she is exhausted. With her head resting on his chest, she can hear Caleb's heart pounding, it's relaxing. She can also feel his chest rise and fall as he catches his breath just like she doing as well.

Hanna lifts her head from his chest and starts a very tender kiss.

She is about to pull away from his lips to let him know how much she missed that connection between them, but Caleb wins her over and pulls away from the kiss first.

Caleb "I have to pee, babe"

Hanna chuckles and gets off of him. Then he stands up from the bed, picks up his underwear from the floor and leaves the bedroom.

Hanna is lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, feeling completely happy and relaxed when Caleb comes back in her bedroom. She looks at him with a smile on her face.

Caleb smiles back while picking his shirt up and puts it on. Then he does the same with his jeans. Hanna doesn't say anything because she is sure that Caleb is getting dressed just in case her mom comes back home. But when Caleb grabs his socks and shoes, she frowns.

Hanna "You leaving?"

Caleb "Yeah…"

Hanna "Where? Why?" she can't help asking while sitting up in the bed.

Caleb "I have a lot of things to do, but I'll see you later, okay?"

Hanna doesn't answer. She lies back down and looks back at the ceiling.

Once Caleb is done getting dressed, he approaches the bed and presses a kiss to Hanna's forehead. "See you, baby" he gives her a peck on her lips and then leaves.

The second Caleb walks out the door, Hanna's cheeks start to get soaked by tears. She thought that she and Caleb had just returned to normal, but apparently not. Maybe what just happened between them, the connection she felt, the love, was just sex to Caleb. She grabs one of her pillows and throws it away with rage. It hits some things on the dressing table and they fall to the floor, but Hanna doesn't even care. Not knowing what the hell is going on with Caleb is frustrating. And it hurts.

She grabs her phone from the bedside table and texts Mona.

Hanna: _Can you still get me that job interview in New York?_

She hits send and Chocolate shows up in her room. "Come here, baby…" she pats the mattress next to her.

Chocolate jumps on the bed and lies on his back for Hanna to scratch his tummy. Hanna keeps weeping while petting Chocolate.

/

The next day.

Caleb is at The Radley Hotel, he is talking to Ashley about work. They are having a very informal meeting while having some coffee, sitting at a table in the lobby.

At some point, Ashley's assistant shows up to remind her about some phone call she needs to make, so Ashley leaves.

Caleb stays there to finish his cup of coffee, but only a few minutes later, someone shows up and joins him.

Mona "Hi, Caleb"

Caleb "Hey" he only says.

Mona laughs. "Always so friendly" she says with sarcasm, teasing him a little.

But Caleb doesn't seem to care.

Mona "Anyway, I just stopped by to thank you. I don't know what you told Hanna, but it worked. She asked me to arrange that job interview for her in New York"

Caleb "She did?" he asks softly.

Mona grins. "Yeah, she texted me yesterday and we've been talking a lot today. We are going to New York next week so Hanna can have her job interview and I can look for a place to rent, because I don't recall if I told you, but I'm moving to the big city next month... Maybe I can convince her to move in together. She will need a place to live too"

Suddenly, Caleb loses his appetite and can't drink another sip of coffee. He is also speechless.

Mona just stares at him for a few seconds and then she decides to say something.

Mona "Don't worry, I'll make sure we move to a place that is big enough for you to stay with us when you come to visit"

Caleb "Huh, yeah…" he only says and stands up from his seat. "I need to go back to working" he says and leaves.

He barely makes it to his office before a tear finally escapes from one of his eyes. He wipes it off and sits at his desk. He takes deep breaths while trying to calm down. He struggles to hold back his tears and he succeeds with that while focusing hard on his job not to think about Hanna's choice.

/

Aria "Come on! Just get off your bed, Hanna. It's freaking afternoon"

Hanna "I'm not in the mood to go shopping"

Aria "But you don't have to shop anything for yourself, you just need to come with me and tell me what fits me better, help me put outfits together. Ezra and I are leaving for Europe next week and I have no clothes"

Hanna sighs. "Fine"

Hanna finally gets up from her bed to go shower.

/

Later.

Hanna and Aria are walking through the mall, Aria is carrying some shopping bags and Hanna some others, but they are all Aria's, since Hanna hasn't shopped not even a single thing for herself.

Aria "Aren't you going to tell me what happened with Caleb?"

Hanna "Nothing happened"

Aria "Doesn't seem so. You are not feeling down for nothing"

Hanna "I'm telling you, nothing happened. That's the problem, nothing happened"

Aria looks at her confused.

Hanna sighs. "He came over yesterday, he fucked me and then he left. He didn't even stay with me five minutes after we finished. He left as if I was just a hook-up"

Aria "Aren't you being too sensitive, maybe?... Maybe he had something to do…"

Hanna "No, I'm sure there's something wrong that he is not telling me. And I'm done"

Aria "Talk to him, then"

Hanna "He should talk to me, he is the one who has a problem. He is being an asshole, not me. Anyway, I don't feel like talking about this anymore, let's just keep shopping, what else do you need?"

Aria "Mmh… a pair of shoes"

Hanna "We should go to this shoe shop on the third level, they've got the best shoes in Rosewood. And there's another good one on the second level, but we should go to this one first"

Aria chuckles. "See why I asked you to come with me? You are like the best mall GPS"

Hanna chuckles too. "Is it a compliment? I'm not sure"

Aria "Of course it is"

Aria suddenly stops walking and bends over, wrapping one of her arms around her tummy. She reaches out with her free hand and holds on to Hanna while letting go a moan of pain. All her shopping bags fall to the floor.

Hanna "Are you okay?" she drops the shopping bags too and grabs Aria by her arm and waist, trying to help her stay on her feet.

Aria tries to straighten up, but she can't. She feels a strong pain in her stomach that won't let her do so. She starts crying from so much pain.

Hanna "Oh my god, someone help us, please!" she yells at seeing blood running down Aria's legs as she tries to hold her.

/

An hour later.

Hanna is in the waiting room at the hospital. She hasn't had news about Aria since an ambulance took them there and the nurses took her away in a wheelchair while Aria was still in pain. Spencer is with her, she has arrived only a few minutes ago to join Hanna after she alerted all the girls about what happened to Aria.

Alison and Emily show up now and rush toward them.

Emily "Any news?" she asks very worried.

Spencer "Not yet" she sighs and has seat.

Hanna doesn't even answer. She has a lump in her throat and has barely spoken to Spencer since she arrived. She is leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest while staring into space.

Alison "I don't get it, she started to writhe in pain from one moment to another? Just like that?"

Hanna looks at her and nods.

Emily "Maybe it isn't that bad… maybe it's just an appendicitis and she will be fine after a little surgery"

Hanna "She was bleeding" she manages to say despite the lump in her throat and right after her last word, she pouts and a tear runs down her cheek.

Alison and Emily go have seat next to Spencer.

Spencer "She will be fine"

Emily "Did someone call Ezra?"

Spencer "Hanna did, but he isn't answering his phone. I asked Toby to go get him at the Brew, but he wasn't there"

Another fifteen minutes pass by and a doctor finally comes out to talk to them.

Hanna approaches him right away as the girls stand up from their seats and do the same.

Hanna "Is she okay?"

Doctor "Yes, she is. But I'm afraid the baby is not"

Alison "What baby?" she asks confused.

The girls can't believe as the doctor informs them that Aria just had a miscarriage. They didn't even know she was pregnant to begin with. Alison listens to him attentively with a frown on her face as Emily runs her hand through her hair, unable to believe what she is hearing. Hanna and Spencer just start crying hard. The bad news hit them harder, maybe because Spencer is pregnant and she can't help putting herself in Aria's shoes, and Hanna was there with Aria when it happened. She experienced it with her, and it just breaks her heart learning that her best friend just lost a baby.

The doctor walks away after letting them know that Aria has been taken to a room and that they can go see her. The girls just stare at each other confused.

Alison sighs. "You guys calm down, you can't go see her while crying like that" she tells Hanna and Spencer who are still weeping hard.

Hanna shakes her head no and plops down on a chair. Then she leans in and hides her face in her palms as she keeps shedding tears.

Spencer "I just can't go in there… I can't" she says between sobs.

Emily "It's okay" she pulls Spencer into a hug. "You don't have to see her right now. Just try to calm down" she says while rubbing her back. "Alison and I are going to see her now. You and Hanna stay here" she pulls away from Spencer. "Go sit down for a moment"

Spencer nods and goes have seat next to Hanna.

Emily sighs and looks at Alison. "Ready?"

Alison shakes her head. "No, but let's go… she needs us"

Emily nods and they start walking toward Aria's room.

/

Toby and Ezra arrive at the hospital and find Hanna and Spencer in the waiting room. The girls are calmer now, but Ezra freaks out at seeing the expression on their faces. They look sad, worried, and it's obvious that they have been crying.

Ezra "What happened? Is Aria all right?"

Hanna "Yes, she is" she rushes to tell him.

Ezra "Then what happened? Why are you two so upset?"

Hanna and Spencer look at each other not knowing what to say or do. Toby looks at them expectantly and confused at the same time.

Ezra "Come on, just tell me what happened" he raises his voice because he is just too nervous.

Spencer "Aria had a miscarriage" she finally says it.

Ezra "What?" he frowns very confused. "A miscarriage? She wasn't pregn-" he falls silent for a moment as he thinks it over.

Spencer is struggling not to start to cry again and Toby notices it. Despite everything that is going on between them, he approaches her, wraps his arms around her and holds her against his chest as she loses the battle to hold back her tears. She hugs him back. She needs his comfort.

Hanna "You didn't know she was pregnant?"

Ezra shakes his head no. It's obvious to Hanna that he is just too shocked.

Hanna "Come on, let's go see her" she grabs him by the arm.

Hanna doesn't know where she is getting that strength from, but she is grateful for that. She walks Ezra to Aria's room.

When they get there, Hanna opens the door for him.

Ezra looks at Hanna like not knowing what to do.

Hanna "Just be with her, you don't have to say anything"

Ezra nods and gets in the room. Hanna takes the opportunity to take a look at her friend from the door. Aria is sitting in the bed just talking to Alison and Emily. She thought she would be crying her eyes out, but she looks calm.

As soon as Aria sees Ezra, she falls silent and stares at him until he reaches her bed and they hug. Alison and Emily stand up and leave the room.

Hanna "How is she?" she asks after Alison closes the door behind her back.

Alison "Way better than we thought… I think that the fact that she didn't know she was pregnant in the first place, helped a lot"

Hanna only nods.

Emily "I think she hasn't woken up to the fact that she had a miscarriage yet"

The girls go back to the waiting room.

Spencer "How is she doing?" she asks as soon as Hanna, Alison and Emily show up over there.

Emily smiles at seeing Toby sitting next to Spencer, holding her hand.

Alison "She will be fine"

Spencer "Did the doctor say anything else?"

Alison "She needs to stay the night here, they want to monitor her just in case, she could have another bleeding"

Spencer swallows hard, the word 'bleeding' sends a shiver down her spine.

Toby "Let's go, I'll take you home"

Spencer "No, I want to stay. I haven't seen Aria yet"

Toby "You can't see her like this. You are too upset, Spence. Besides, Alison said she will be fine. You can go visit her at her place tomorrow"

Emily "I think Toby is right. You can see her tomorrow. Now go home, have some rest, relax"

Spencer "I won't just leave. Aria is my best friend. I'm staying"

Toby "Fine" he gives up. "Just chill out, then. You are pregnant" he places his arm over her shoulders and Spencer leans against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Hanna has sat down on a chair across from them and is staring at them. They are so cute, she thinks to herself. Toby is right there, just comforting Spencer, even though they aren't even together at the moment. She wishes Caleb was there too, she would love to be held by him just like Spencer is being held by Toby. She knows that if she just called him, Caleb would get there in no time. But she refuses to do so. She doesn't want to ask for anything. She wants him to be with her only because he wants to. And it isn't happening lately. He hasn't been around.

Hanna turns her gaze to Alison and Emily now. The are sitting next to each other too and they are having a whispered talk while Alison caresses Emily's hair.

Hanna sighs and grabs her phone to distract her mind. She is on the verge of tears again, but this time it's not because of what happened to Aria. This time is because of Caleb.

/

An hour later, Spencer gathers courage to go see Aria, so she texts Ezra and heads to Aria's room. When she comes back to the waiting room only a few minutes later, she bursts out of tears again, so Toby takes her home.

Alison "Do you want something to eat, Han?" she asks Hanna, who hasn't said a word in more than an hour.

Hanna shakes her head no.

Alison "Okay, Emily and I will be right back. Text me if you change your mind and I'll bring you something to eat"

Hanna nods again and the girls leave.

About fifteen minutes later…

Caleb "Hey"

Hanna is lost in her thoughts but looks up right away at recognizing his voice.

Hanna "What are you doing here?"

Caleb "Alison just texted me" he says while sitting down on the chair next to Hanna. "You okay?"

Hanna "Uh huh" she only answers and looks away from him.

Caleb tries to take her hand but Hanna moves it away. He stares at her, but she ignores him and keeps looking at the wall in front of her.

Caleb "Are you mad at me?"

Hanna "No… why would I be mad at you?"

Caleb "So… what is it? You don't want me here?"

Hanna shrugs. "It depends…"

Caleb "On what?" he asks confused.

Hanna "Do you want to be here?"

Caleb stares at her confused. But Hanna keeps looking at the wall as if he wasn't sitting right next to her.

Caleb reaches out and places a strand of her hair behind her ear to clear her face. He doesn't know what is going on, but he does know how to soften Hanna up. "I surely don't want to be at a hospital…" he jokes. "But I do want to be with you" he places a tender kiss on her cheek. "And you are at the hospital, so yes, this is exactly where I want to be" he kisses her cheek again and then places another kiss behind her ear.

It all works because Hanna turns to look at him.

Hanna "I'm glad you are here, then"

Caleb notices her sad eyes. "What happened?"

Hanna "You don't know?"

Caleb shakes his head no and takes his phone out from his pocket. "I just received this text from Alison…" he says and hands Hanna his phone.

Alison: _Get your ass at the Rosewood hospital. Don't worry, Hanna is okay, it wasn't her. But she is a bit sad._

Hanna hands the phone back to him. "It was Aria… she had a miscarriage when she was with me at the mall"

Caleb "Oh… I'm sorry" he frowns and falls silent for a second. But then he speaks again. "You didn't tell me she was pregnant…"

Hanna "I didn't know. No one knew, not even her… It was horrible, babe… there was so much blood… and I swear I can still hear Aria crying in my mind"

Caleb takes her hand and this time, Hanna lets him hold it. "Is she okay now?"

Hanna nods. "Yeah… I only saw her for a sec, but she seemed better. Well, at least she wasn't in pain anymore"

Caleb "And how are you, Han?"

Hanna "I'm just so sad… it sucks… I can't even imagine how painful it must be to lose a pregnancy like that… poor Aria" she says with glassy eyes.

Caleb "She will get through it, she is strong. Ezra too. They will be fine"

Hanna "Yeah, I know. But still…"

Caleb takes her face in his hands and gives her a tender kiss on the forehead.

Alison and Emily come back with a little paper bag.

Alison "Hi, Caleb"

Emily "Hey"

Caleb "Hi, girls!" he smiles at them.

Emily "We brought you some food, Han" she says and Alison hands Hanna the paper bag.

But Hanna doesn't take it.

Hanna "I'm not hungry, guys… in fact, I feel a little sick. I can't even think of food right now"

Alison nods and puts the bag in her purse.

Emily "Go home, Han… Ali and I are staying here a little longer just in case Aria and Ezra need anything and then we are going home too, there isn't much we can do here. Aria is much better, and she is with Ezra"

Hanna "I'll stay a little longer too"

Alison "Don't be silly, Han. You've been here longer than us anyway, go have some rest"

Emily "Yeah, and you were the one who was there with Aria when it happened, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a nice moment" she takes Hanna's purse from the chair next to her. "Come on, stand up, you are going home now"

Hanna "Guys, plea-"

Caleb interrupts her. "Let's go, Han. They are right" he stands up and pulls from their joined hands. "There is nothing else you can do for Aria right now. Let me take you home and you can be with her tomorrow"

Hanna "Okay, fine" she sighs and stands up. "You guys call me if you need anything"

Emily "Yeah, don't worry, Han. See you tomorrow"

Alison "Have some rest, Han… see you"

Caleb wraps his arm around Hanna's shoulders and leads her to the exit.

/

Caleb and Hanna are in Caleb's car.

Caleb "You sure you don't want me to pick up some food for you?" he asks while driving.

Hanna "No, I'm fine"

Caleb "Okay… let me know if you change your mind… I can cook something for you later…" he says but Hanna doesn't answer, so he leaves her alone.

A few minutes later, Caleb takes a turn toward his house and Hanna notices that.

Hanna "Where are we going?"

Caleb "My place… I just thought you could stay the night with me…"

Hanna frowns, but since she is looking out the window, Caleb doesn't notice it. "Take me home, Caleb. I wanna go home"

Caleb "Okay, babe" he only says and places his palm on her leg to caress her a little. He doesn't insist, because after the hard day she has had, he only wants her to be comfortable.

/

Caleb "Hi, bear! How are you doing?" he tells Chocolate while playing with him.

They have just arrived at Hanna's.

Hanna "Mom?" she yells to find out if her mother is home.

Ashley "I'm here, sweetie" she yells back from the kitchen.

Hanna and Caleb go there. Ted is sitting at the table with Ashley. They have finished dinner and are having some wine.

Hanna "Hi, Ted"

Caleb "Hi, Ashley. Hi, Ted" he shakes hands with him.

Ted "Hi, guys"

Ashley "I didn't know you were coming, I would have count you in for dinner"

Hanna "Don't worry, mom. I'm going to bed…" she says while grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. "And Caleb is leaving in a little while. Go on with your date…" she says and leaves the kitchen.

Ted "Would you like some wine, Caleb?" he offers.

Caleb "I'm good, thanks" he says politely and goes after Hanna.

When he leaves the kitchen, Hanna is going upstairs, so he follows her to her bedroom.

Caleb "Am I leaving in a little while?"

Hanna shrugs and takes off her shoes.

Caleb "You don't want me to stay with you?"

Hanna "Do whatever you want, Caleb" she says clearly annoyed while taking her top off.

Caleb "This is one of those times when I don't know if you are treating me bad because you are just in a bad mood or if it's because you are actually mad at me"

Hanna doesn't say a word as she keeps taking off her clothes. Once she is only in her underwear, she grabs a nighty from her closet and puts it on.

Chocolate gets in the room too and goes straight to Hanna's bed where he lies down. Hanna leaves her bedroom to go use the bathroom.

Caleb sighs. He takes off his shoes and sits on Hanna's bed, resting his back on the headboard.

Some minutes later, she comes back and gets in bed. She could cuddle up against Caleb, but instead of that, she rests her head on Chocolate's back and wraps her arm around him. Her back to Caleb.

Caleb knows Hanna too well to know that when she is upset, anything he said, would be the wrong thing. So, he just remains silent and starts to caress her hair gently.

Hanna "Go home, Caleb. It's fine" she says after a couple of minutes.

Caleb "I don't get you, Han…"

Hanna "You don't have to stay. Go home"

Caleb "I want to stay with you…"

Hanna "Do you?"

Caleb "Hanna, what's going on? Why are you acting so weird?"

Hanna "Am I acting weird?"

Caleb "Yes"

Hanna "Well, then this is worse than I thought. If you think that I am the one who is acting weird, then we are screwed"

Caleb sighs. "I'm not going home" he lies down on his side and hovers over Hanna to look at her. "I'm staying here whether you like it or not" he kisses her cheek. "And I'm also planning to give you a lot of kisses" he smooches the corner of her mouth.

Hanna places her hand on his cheek and pushes him away before he can reach her mouth. She turns to lie on her back so she can look at him. "Which Caleb are you today? The kind one who I fell in love with? Or the thoughtless dickhead who has replaced my Caleb lately?"

Caleb falls silent. He only stares at her.

Hanna "I thought so" she says and rests her head back on Chocolate. "Just leave. It's fine" she pouts while trying to hold back her tears.

Caleb "Han… I know I've been a little distant lately, but-"

Hanna "A little distant, Caleb? You've barely been around!" she says annoyed. "You haven't asked me to hang out in days, not even once" some tears finally escape and she is thankful that Caleb can't see her face.

Caleb "Neither did you"

Hanna doesn't answer because she is already weeping in silence.

Caleb "You didn't ask me to hang out together either, Han…"

Hanna frowns. His last phrase just irritated her and she sits up to look at him, no longer caring about hiding her tears. "Why would I ask you to hang out after you called me clingy Hanna, after you got mad at me for showing up at your place, or after you told me that you only wanted to fuck me?... Oh, wait! Or also after you actually fucked me and left just like that after we finished?!"

Caleb "That is not what happened, Hanna! I just-"

Hanna cuts him off because she hasn't finished yet. "You have no idea how used you made me feel" she says, starting to cry harder. "Please, tell me that you know what a dick you have been lately, because if you didn't even realize it, then it means that Toby is right"

Caleb "What?" he asks confused.

Hanna "Maybe he is right and I don't know you fully yet… maybe you are not the affectionate guy I thought you were… and it sucks, because I need you... I love you, and if you need your space because I'm too clingy, then I get it. But please, be honest with me. Just tell me when you need some time to yourself and I'll understand. It's just that… I can't keep going like this, wondering all the time if you are with me because you want to, or if it's just because you think you have to"

Caleb "Hanna… fuck" he bites his bottom lip. "You are so wrong that I don't even know where to start"

Hanna "Then just break up with me already" she turns to lie on her side again and rests her head back on Chocolate. Her back to Caleb again. "Because I can't keep like this, wondering all the time when you are going to finally do it… or maybe you don't do it because you still want to have sex with me"

Caleb "Hanna, that's bullshit and you know it!" He places his hand on her shoulder and makes her lie on her back again so they can look at each other in the face.

Hanna "Bullshit? That's what you said the other night" she turns back to Chocolate.

Caleb "I already apologized for that. I thought we had cleared things up"

Hanna "And I believed you… but then you kept acting like all those things you said that night were true" she says softly, running out of energy to keep arguing. Her tears wetting Chocolate's fur.

Caleb remains silent for some minutes, simply processing everything she has just told him. Trying to find the best way to make her understand how wrong she is. At some point, he looks back at her. He can tell that she is still crying even though he can't see her face.

Caleb "Han…" he takes his hand to her shoulder and starts to caress her with his thumb. "I do admit that I took certain distance from you… but none of those things you just said is true…"

Hanna only ignores him.

Caleb "Hey… look at me, please…" he runs his hand down her arm and takes her hand. "Listen to me…"

Hanna finally turns to look at him. Her face is a mess of tears and seeing her like that causes Caleb to get a lump in his throat right away.

Caleb reaches out to wipe Hanna's tears away. "Don't cry, please. It breaks my heart" he says softly and Hanna can see as his eyes get watery too. It eases her anger and now she only feels sad, too sad.

Hanna "I'm just asking you to be real with me. If you got tired of me and just need some time, please tell me. Maybe we can spend some time away from one another, it could help… I don't want to lose you" she keeps shedding tears. "Don't leave me. I'm sure we-"

Caleb "Hanna, stop. Breaking up with you never crossed my mind. Not even for a moment… come here, sit up"

Hanna sits up and brings her knees to her chest to wrap her arms around them.

Caleb "The only thing I hate more than seeing you cry, is seeing you cry because of me" he places his arm over her shoulders and pulls her closer to him. "I don't know where you got that idea from, but I wasn't going to break up with you. And I'm not tired of you, that is not even possible. I would spend as much time with you as you would let me"

Hanna "Then what's going on?" she asks, so softly that Caleb barely listens to her although they are pretty close now.

Caleb "I took a distance from you, but I never meant to hurt you. I didn't think you would think that I could break up with you… To be honest, I didn't think you would mind this much" he runs his thumb against her cheek, wiping her tears away once more. "Fuck, Han… I hate seeing you crying because of me. All those times when I saw you crying because of Jordan, I thought that he was the biggest idiot on earth for hurting you so much… we barely knew each other, but I liked you so bad already that I couldn't help thinking that if ever had you, I would never make you feel so sad… and look at you now… I just did the same as him"

Hanna "There's a little difference…" she says while staring into his eyes. "You are here to mend it" she notices that Caleb is holding his tears back. "And there's also another difference… you are right, I cried because of Jordan a lot of times… but I'm not crying because of you. I'm crying for you. Because I love you, and I don't want to lose you. So whatever is going wrong, please, let's just talk it out… let's find a way to fix it together" she unwraps her arms from her legs and wraps them around Caleb's neck.

Caleb hugs her back. He closes his eyes while breathing in her rich scent. That's when he loses the battle against his tears and they just start escaping from his eyes. "Nothing is going wrong. It's just me. I'm probably the only thing that needs to be fixed" he hides his face in the crook of her neck. "I'm fucking broken"

Hanna can feel his soft lips pressing a kiss to her neck, and then all she can feel are his tears wetting her skin and she can't believe that Caleb is actually crying. She takes her hands to his head and starts to caress his hair. "You are not broken. You don't need to be fixed… we are working this out, whatever it is… unless you cheated on me. In that case, you will need to be fixed because you aren't making it out of this room in one piece"

Caleb smiles slightly against her skin. "That is just not possible"

Hanna smiles too.

They fall silent and remain like that for minutes until they both are calmer.

Hanna pulls away from him and takes her hands to his face to wipe his tears with both her thumbs. "So… what is it? What's going on?"

Caleb sighs. "This is the problem" he points at his face. "I love you so much that it freaks me out"

Hanna frowns confused.

Caleb "I hate feeling so vulnerable, Hanna. My whole life I've been capable of controlling my feelings until I met you. Now I depend on you so much that my mood, my feelings, everything is up to you. And it freaks me out. I didn't push you away. I was trying to take some distance in order to… I don't know… I just wanted to be in control of my feelings again, I guess. That day when you showed up at my place, I was in a really bad mood because of this. I was feeling a bit lonely, you were with the girls and I wanted you to be with me. I wanted you all for me. I got pissed at myself for needing you that much… and then I got even more pissed at myself for being so selfish. Anyway, that night, I realized that I needed you way more than you needed me. And I don't want to need you. I just want to love you and still be able to be on my own. You have your friends, your family, your career… and I'm your boyfriend, just another thing on that list… but when you take a look at my list, there's nothing but you. You have become everything to me, and it freaks me out. I don't know what I'm going to do when you move to New York, but I would never ask you to stay and miss out such an important opportunity for your career"

Hanna "What?"

Caleb "I know about New York, Han… Mona told me. And it's fine. I'm happy for you. I'll miss you as fuck, but I totally support you. I'll just go to visit you and Chocolate there…"

Hanna "I'm not moving back to New York, Caleb"

Caleb "Han, it's okay, you-"

Hanna "No, really. I'm not moving back to New York, Caleb. I don't know what Mona told you, but I told her that I didn't want that job… why are you talking to Mona, tho?"

Caleb "She came over the other day and asked me to find a way to convince you to go to that job interview without telling you that I knew about it… and then yesterday she showed up at The Radley and told me that you had asked her to arrange the interview for you, and that she was moving to New York too, so you two would probably move in together"

Hanna "Caleb…" she sighs. "First of all, you should never ever take Mona seriously. In fact, I would rather you didn't talk to her at all" she takes his hand with both her hands and starts to caress his palm. "I told her I wouldn't go to that job interview the moment she told me about it. I had no doubts because I'm not moving back to New York. I want to stay here in Rosewood and yes, I admit it, you are my main reason to stay, but I'm also staying here for my family, my friends, Chocolate, and because I realized that I can be happy here. I had my time in New York and it wasn't what I had imagined. Of course it was amazing, but… I don't know, I just didn't feel completely happy there... I texted Mona yesterday and asked to arrange that job interview for me because I was too upset after you walked away from me after we had sex"

Caleb "Han, I didn't fuck you and left. We made love yesterday… I came here to pick Chocolate up, but you looked so damn sexy when you opened the door that I just couldn't resist you… you are my girlfriend, we made love, and then I just had to leave. I had a meeting at The Radley and then I had to go pick something up at the hardware store, because a power connection burned in my basement and I had no power in some parts of the house. I didn't think there was any problem with that… why didn't you say anything to me? Why didn't you ask me to stay with you for a little longer if that was what you needed?"

Hanna "I was giving you some space, I guess. I wanted you to be with me because you wanted. I didn't want to suffocate you. I was just waiting for you to invite me over, or come out with a plan yourself. I thought that maybe I was suffocating you and I didn't want to do anything that could bother you… like showing up at your place like I did the other night…"

Caleb "Han… I was an ass that night, baby. Nothing that I said was what I actually think. Stop thinking about the stupid things that came out from my mouth that night. I was pissed off at myself"

Hanna looks down and nods. "Okay…"

Caleb "You still mad at me?"

Hanna "I'm not mad… I just… you are an idiot, Caleb"

Caleb "Yeah, I know"

Hanna looks up at him. "And you are wrong. I'm not the only thing you have… you have your career too. You had literally nothing and thanks to that beautiful brain of yours, you managed to get very good jobs and build a life for yourself. And my friends are becoming your friends too, and that's thanks to you too, because you are amazing, and everyone likes you. I admire you so much, Caleb. You had a very tough life and it didn't stop you from being the incredible person that you are"

Caleb smiles slightly. "Yeah, but I still don't give a shit about anything but you, Hanna… what did you do to me?"

Hanna "The same thing you did to me, because if you and I aren't good, then I don't care much about other things either. I need to be okay with you to enjoy the other good things in my life. I've felt miserable these last days thinking that I was losing you…"

Caleb "I'm sorry, Han… I didn't realize I was hurting you that much…"

Hanna "That's the point, Caleb… It's okay to need each other, we are in love. We make each other happy. And yes, we depend a little too much on one another… but it is what it is. I need you, I love you… and you need me too, deal with it" she sits on his lap, straddling him.

Caleb wraps his arms around her low back. "I love you so much, Hanna" he says while staring into her eyes.

Hanna smiles slightly, she knows now that her Caleb is still there.

Caleb takes one of his hands to her cheek and leans in to meet his lips with hers. Hanna closes her eyes and just lets him kiss her. He kisses her very slowly, squeezing her lips gently between his. The kiss is good even though he is doing all the work because Hanna isn't even kissing him back. But it isn't like she didn't want the kiss, she is just enjoying being kissed. Caleb's tongue slides through the barrier of her lips and Hanna opens her mouth to let him deepen the kiss. She starts to kiss him back the moment his tongue touches hers. She presses her body against his, to be as close to him as possible. Caleb tightens his grip around her back to hold her against himself.

They keep kissing for about twenty minutes, always keeping it slow and tender.

A knock on the door makes them pull away from the kiss. Hanna gets off his lap and sits back on the mattress.

Hanna "Come in" she yells and Ashley opens the door.

Ashley "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know Caleb was still here" she apologizes for the interruption.

Hanna "It's fine, mom. We were just talking" she casually says. "What's up?"

Ashley "Would you mind if Ted stays the night?"

Hanna chuckles. "This is your house, mom. Of course I don't mind. Do whatever you want, it's okay with me"

Ashley "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, that's all"

Hanna "You won't, mom. It's fine, really"

Ashley "Okay" she smiles at her.

Hanna "Actually… Caleb is staying the night too…"

Ashley "Okay, good night, guys" she says and leaves, closing the door on her way out.

Caleb "So, I can stay?" he asks and reaches out to caress her cheek.

Hanna "Only if you want to"

Caleb "I want to stay"

Hanna smiles.

Caleb smiles back and gives her another tender kiss on her lips. Then he gets up from the bed and takes off his clothes. He only keeps his boxers on.

When he looks back at Hanna, she is lying in the bed, cuddling with Chocolate again.

Caleb "Hey! You are supposed to cuddle with me now that we are okay" he says while getting in the bed too.

Hanna chuckles. "You are supposed to spoon me, silly" she grabs his arm. "Come here"

Caleb turns off the bedside lamp and sticks his body to Hann's, wrapping his arm around her waist to hold her close.

Caleb "I love you" he whispers into her ear. "Sleep well, baby. You had a really hard day… have some rest, because tomorrow, I'm showing you that everything I said tonight is true. They aren't just words"

Hanna "I believe you. You don't need to prove anything to me… but it sounds tempting, so I'm in"

Caleb chuckles against her nape and Hanna smiles at feeling his breath warm against her skin.

Hanna "I love you too. You sleep well too, baby"

Caleb just kisses her shoulder in response and rests his head back on the pillow to go to sleep.

* * *

Hi guys! That was a very long chapter to make it up to you for the very long wait haha. You can blame my job for my lack of time to write. It took me more than a month to write this freaking chapter, so I hope you like it. :)


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